Many regions in the country will have a bank holiday today on account of Buddha Purnima. Banks in Tripura, Belapur, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana, Uttarakhand, Jammu, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, New Delhi, Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Himachal Pradesh and Srinagar would be closed today, according to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) holiday calendar.
Rupee and bond markets are also shut today.
Gautama Buddha's birthday is celebrated as Buddha Purnima, which falls on May 16 this year. Devotees of Buddha visit temples to listen to monks and recite ancient verses on this day. Many devotees also wear white robes and eat vegetarian food on and around this day.
There are a total of 11 bank holidays in May, including second and fourth Saturdays and Sundays.
Other bank holidays in May will be on:
May 22: Weekly off (Sunday)
May 28: Fourth Saturday
May 29: Weekly off (Sunday)