Gandhi Jayanti

A day for Gandhi

Gandhi Jayanti returns on the same date each year, 2 October, and it looks back to the birth of Mahatma Gandhi. Together with Independence Day and Republic Day, it counts as one of India's three national holidays, and that standing is why it reaches every state and union territory in the country. The occasion is more than an anniversary. It keeps alive the memory of Gandhi's part in the campaign that ended British colonial rule, and of the nonviolent method of resistance that he argued for.

Background and naming

Gandhi is honoured by many as the National Father of India, a title given to him by Subhas Chandra Bose. His insistence on nonviolent resistance is credited with a large share of the success of the struggle for independence. The date travelled beyond the country in 2007, when the United Nations General Assembly named 2 October the International Day of Non-Violence. Indian governments have also used the anniversary for their own campaigns: the Swachh Bharat Mission was started by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti in 2014, and its second phase opened on the same day in 2021.

Memory and meaning

Nonviolence is the thread that runs through the day. Gandhi's name is linked with resistance carried out without weapons, and the awards given in schools and communities each year go to projects that keep that idea alive. His memory is also kept in sound and stone: the bhajan Raghupati Raghava Raja Ram, said to be his favourite devotional song, is sung at gatherings, and statues of him across the country are dressed with flowers and garlands. For many people the point of the date is less about looking back and more about taking the principle into ordinary life.

Quiet choices and closures

Because the date carries the status of a national holiday, public buildings, banks and post offices shut. For some people the observance is private rather than public: a few give up alcohol for the day, and a few give up meat. Others join prayer meetings or ceremonies. The day is at once official and personal: commemorations for some, a quiet choice about food and drink for others. Either way, it interrupts the ordinary working week once a year.

How Gandhi Jayanti is kept

Public buildings, banks and post offices close for the day. Prayer services and tributes follow, with the largest gathering at Raj Ghat in New Delhi, the memorial at the place where Gandhi was cremated. Colleges, local authorities and social and political organisations hold commemorative ceremonies in cities around the country. In schools and communities, awards go to projects that promote a nonviolent way of life and remember his work for independence. His favourite bhajan, Raghupati Raghava Raja Ram, is sung, and statues of him are decorated with flowers. Some people give up alcohol or meat.

When and where

Gandhi Jayanti falls on 2 October, the same calendar date every year, and it is not moved. The date is fixed to the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi rather than to any lunar or religious calendar, so it lands on a different weekday each year. It is annual and nationwide.

The holiday belongs to India, and it is kept throughout every state and union territory. New Delhi holds the most visible observance, at Raj Ghat, the memorial where Gandhi was cremated. Beyond India's borders, the same date is known through the United Nations as the International Day of Non-Violence.

What Gandhi Jayanti means

The date turns a birthday into a statement about how change should be made. Gandhi's name stands for winning a political fight without violence, and the annual awards for peaceful projects carry that argument into schools and neighbourhoods. Singing his favourite bhajan at gatherings and laying flowers on his statues are acts of respect for a person many call the National Father. For those who keep the day, remembering him is also a way of saying that the method mattered as much as the result.

Days Gandhi Jayanti is marked

Gandhi Jayanti dates: 2026, 2027, 2028

Questions people ask about Gandhi Jayanti

See also

Jana Gana ManaIndia's national anthem, from a Bengali hymn of 1911, sung at civic occasionsBeating RetreatA military ceremony of music and drill held at sunset to mark the end of a day or a festival.Independence DayA public holiday on 15 August marking the end of British rule in India in 1947Wagah Border CeremonyA daily flag-lowering ritual at the India-Pakistan border featuring high kicks and synchronized drills.

Good reading and sources

• Gandhi Jayanti 2023: Date, history, significance and all you need to know about Mahatma Gandhi's birth anniversaryHindustan Times, Article
• Gandhi Jayanti 2023: Date, history, significance and all you need to know about Mahatma Gandhi's birth anniversaryHindustan Times, Article

• Gandhi Jayanti on WikipediaEncyclopedia
• More photos on Wikimedia CommonsPhotos and video
• Wikidata recordOpen data

It may contain mistakes. Traditions differ from one family, village and community to the next, and the people who keep them know them best. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-05.