MAHASHIVRATRI 2022: Banks in India are shut on public holidays and there are a few bank holidays that are state-specific and a few holidays on which banks are shut all around the country. On National holidays like Republic Day, Independence Day and Gandhi Jayanti, banks across India are shut. Mahashivratri is an important festival in the Hindu culture and holds significance, but this day is not observed as a bank holiday in the entire country.
Mahashivratri is a holy festival to honour Lord Shiva and his wife Goddess Parvati, who as per Hindu mythology, got married on this night. Mahashivratri is celebrated in different ways across the country.
States which observe a holiday on Mahashivratri are as follows:
Maharashtra has declared a bank holiday on Mahashivratri, i.e March 1. The Hindu festival also holds prominence in the states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, and they too observe a bank holiday.
Karnataka will also observe a bank holiday on the occasion of Mahashivratri.
In Tamil Nadu, the festival is celebrated with great pomp and fanfare. People walk barefoot for 14 kilometres to reach Lord Shiva’s Annamalaiyar temple on the top of a hill.
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Andhra Pradesh and Telangana also observe a holiday on the occasion of this festival. Special rallies are held in various cities of the state to honour the Lord.
Himachal Pradesh also observes a public holiday on Mahashivratri. Mandi, a small town in Himachal Pradesh is popular for its Mandi fair, which is set up during the festival.
Kashmiri Hindus also observe Mahashivratri, but that state does not observe a bank holiday.
Some cities of Madhya Pradesh also observe a holiday on this day. There’s a Mahakaleshwar Temple in Ujjain, which is said to be one of the most venerated shrines of the Lord.
Punjab also observes a bank holiday on Mahashivratri. Punjabi Hindus organise Shobha Yatras in a few cities on this day.
The Mrugi Kund is located in Gujarat and people believe that the Lord himself arrives to take a bath there. Mahashivratri is observed as a bank holiday in Gujarat.
