Haryana Day

In the Indian state of Haryana, every 1 November is a public holiday called “Haryana Day”. This date marks the time in 1966 when the state was carved out of the existing state of East Punjab based on linguistic criteria. In 2026, Haryana Day falls on Sunday 1 November. The holiday will be on Monday 1 November in 2027. India’s national government established a commission in April of 1966 to survey East Punjab and to determine which portions of it should be included in the new state of Haryana. They gave their report in May, and most of their recommendations were followed. But the city of Chandigarh became a “joint capital” of both Haryana and Punjab instead of going fully to Haryana as recommended on language group grounds. Haryana’s 25 million inhabitants put on many colourful and exuberant celebrations every Haryana Day. The streets are wild with excitement. There are bicycle races and foot races. There is also a food festival that is held in tourist centres on the same day. And there are blood drives, live music, brightly lit and decorated public buildings, and much more to mark the occasion.