Diwali 2025 Celebrations Across India: Diwali festivities have begun nationwide with schools, colleges, businesses, and government offices announcing holiday breaks. Many offices will remain closed for the long Diwali weekend, while banks across several states will observe multiple days of closure as per the Reserve Bank of India’s holiday list.
The stock exchanges will remain shut on Tuesday, October 20, for Diwali and Lakshmi Puja, with a special one-hour Muhurat Trading session, before resuming and then closing again for mid-week holidays. Some regions observing earlier sunsets may celebrate Diwali on October 21. In addition, several states have declared dry days on Diwali, ensuring celebrations remain regulated during the festival of lights.
Is Diwali a dry day?
Several states, including Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Delhi, have declared Diwali a dry day. This means liquor shops in these areas will remain open only on Dhanteras and Bhai Dooj — with a strict ban on October 20. The sale of alcohol is banned by licensed outlets on dry days (including government and private license holders) as well as restaurants. The Excise Department has also ramped up monitoring to ensure compliance with alcohol regulations amid the festive season and drinking in open spaces can lead to fines or even legal prosecution.
Will the stock market close for Diwali?
The Bombay Stock Exchange and National Stock Exchange are in the midst of a long closure due to the festivities. It will remain open for normal trading on Monday after the two-day weekend. Both exchanges will again close for two days starting Tuesday — for Diwali, Lakshmi Puja and Balipratipada.
Investors will also get a symbolic one-hour trading window to mark the start of Vikram Samvat 2082 (the Hindu New Year) on Tuesday afternoon. This year, the Muhurat Trading session will take place from 1:45 pm to 2:45 pm on October 21.
Is Diwali a bank holiday?
Major banks will remain closed in most states for Diwali celebrations next week. According to the RBI calendar, most states will have a holiday on October 20 for Diwali, Naraka Chaturdashi and Kali Puja celebrations. Manipur, Maharashtra, Bihar and Jammu & Kashmir are the sole exceptions — with banks remaining open on Monday. Several states will see banks close on between October 21 and 23 for Diwali, Govardhan Pooja, Balipadyami, Laxmi Puja, Bhai Dooj and other celebrations.
Banks will remain closed today in: Tripura, Gujarat, Mizoram, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Chandigarh (UT), Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Assam, Telangana, Arunachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Nagaland, West Bengal, Delhi (NCT), Goa, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Meghalaya, Himachal Pradesh, and Andhra Pradesh.
Public transport services affected?
Several states have announced changes to their public transit schedules for the festival. The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation has announced revised train timings for Diwali — with early morning services on the eve of the festival and curtailed operations on the night of the festival. The last metro trains from all terminal stations (including those on the Airport Express Line) will depart at 10 pm instead of the regular 11 pm on Monday.
