About Karnataka Rajyotsava
Karnataka Rajyotsava, or Kannada Rajyotsava, marks 1 November 1956, when the Kannada-speaking regions of five former states and provinces were joined into one state, then called Mysore and renamed Karnataka in 1973. It is a public holiday in Karnataka, marked with the red-and-yellow Kannada flag and the Rajyotsava awards, and in 2026 it falls on Sunday, 1 November 2026.
Why is Karnataka Rajyotsava celebrated on 1 November?
Karnataka Rajyotsava is celebrated on 1 November because on that day in 1956 the States Reorganisation Act brought the Kannada-speaking regions of south India into a single state. Until then, Kannada speakers had been split across about 20 administrative units, and in most of them another language ran the government and the schools. The new state kept the name Mysore. On 1 November 1973, under Chief Minister Devaraj Urs, it was renamed Karnataka, so the day now carries two anniversaries.
Rajyotsava means "state festival". Many people simply call it Kannada Rajyotsava, because the day is as much about the language as about the map.
| Before 1956 | Who ran it | The region today |
|---|---|---|
| Mysore State | The Wodeyar kings, then the Indian Union | Old Mysore, the southern districts including Bengaluru and Mysuru |
| Bombay State (earlier Bombay Presidency) | Bombay government, where Marathi was dominant | North-western districts such as Belagavi, Dharwad and Vijayapura |
| Hyderabad State | The Nizam, with Urdu as the language of administration | North-eastern districts such as Kalaburagi, Bidar and Raichur, now called Kalyana Karnataka |
| Madras State (earlier Madras Presidency) | Madras government, where Tamil was dominant | Coastal Dakshina Kannada and border areas |
| Coorg | A small centrally administered state | Kodagu district |
Who led the movement to unify Karnataka?
The movement to unify Karnataka, called Karnataka Ekikarana, grew over more than half a century. The Karnataka Vidyavardhaka Sangha, founded in Dharwad in 1890, was one of its earliest bodies. From about 1905 the writer Aluru Venkata Rao became its best-known voice. His book "Karnataka Gatha Vaibhava" told the history of the Kannada lands up to the fall of Vijayanagara, and gave readers a sense of a shared past. The Kannada Sahitya Parishat, founded in Bangalore in 1915, gave the language a literary home.
- 1890Karnataka Vidyavardhaka Sangha
Founded in Dharwad to promote Kannada in the Bombay-ruled north.
- 1905 onwardsAluru Venkata Rao
Begins writing and campaigning for a united Karnataka; later honoured as Kannada Kulapurohita.
- 1915Kannada Sahitya Parishat
Founded in Bangalore as a body for Kannada literature.
- 1924Belgaum Congress
The Congress session in Belgaum, presided over by Mahatma Gandhi, supports the idea.
- 1953Hunger strike and elections
A. J. Doddameti's fast and pro-unification election wins press the Centre to act.
- 1 Nov 1956Unification
The States Reorganisation Act creates the enlarged Mysore State.
- 1 Nov 1973Renamed Karnataka
Chief Minister Devaraj Urs's government changes the name.
How is Karnataka Rajyotsava celebrated?
Karnataka Rajyotsava is celebrated with the red-and-yellow Kannada flag, which goes up over offices, colleges, shops and street corners across the state. The Chief Minister hoists it at the official function in Bengaluru and addresses the state. It is a public holiday in Karnataka.
The flag was designed in the 1960s by the Kannada activist Ma Ramamurthy. Its yellow and red stand for arishina and kumkuma, turmeric and vermilion, the auspicious pair used in Kannada homes for every happy occasion. The flag appears on the state government's website and is used everywhere on this day, but it has no official status at the national level.
In Bengaluru, companies, including the big IT firms, hold their own Rajyotsava programmes. Schools and colleges hold performances of Dollu Kunitha drumming and Bayalata folk theatre. The state anthem, "Jaya Bharata Jananiya Tanujate", written by the poet Kuvempu and published in 1924, is sung at official and school events. It became the state anthem in 2004, and in 2022 the government settled on Mysore Ananthaswamy's tune as the official version.
Kannada associations in the United States, the United Kingdom, Singapore, the UAE, Australia and elsewhere hold their own Rajyotsava celebrations.
What is the Rajyotsava award?
The Rajyotsava Prashasti is Karnataka's second-highest civilian honour, after the Karnataka Ratna. It was instituted in 1966 and is presented on or around 1 November to people who have made a mark in fields such as literature, the arts, science, sport, medicine, social work and public service.
Past recipients include the space scientist K. Kasturirangan, cricketer Rahul Dravid and social activist Bezwada Wilson. In recent years the list has run to 60 or more names.
1 November is also the formation day of several other states. See Kerala Piravi, Haryana Day and Chhattisgarh Rajyotsava.
What to write on Karnataka Rajyotsava
A good Rajyotsava message uses a little Kannada and names something the person loves about Karnataka: a writer, a song, a food, a hometown. If you moved to Bengaluru for work, this is the day to show you have made the effort.
Do
- Use "Kannada Rajyotsavada shubhashayagalu" or add "Siri Gannadam Gelge" to an English message.
- Mention Kannada writers, music, films or places; they carry the meaning of the day.
- In an office, wish everyone, including colleagues who are not Kannadigas.
Avoid
- Don't send messages that attack other languages or people from other states.
- Don't treat the day as a Bengaluru-only event; Hubballi, Kalaburagi, Mangaluru and Mysuru celebrate it too.
Kannada Rajyotsavada hardika shubhashayagalu. Siri Gannadam Gelge.
Rajyotsavada shubhashayagalu, Amma and Appa. Thank you for making sure we read Kannada at home even when school was in English.
Happy Karnataka Rajyotsava. I've lived here for years and I'm still learning Kannada. Thank you for your patience with me.
Kannada Rajyotsavada shubhashayagalu from namma Bengaluru. The flags are up everywhere. Play some Kuvempu for us tonight.
Happy Rajyotsava. Thank you for teaching us a language with a thousand years of poetry behind it.
Congratulations on the Rajyotsava Prashasti. The whole state is proud of you today.
- Rajyotsava
- State festival; the name for Karnataka's formation day
- Kannada Rajyotsavada shubhashayagalu
- Good wishes on Kannada Rajyotsava
- Siri Gannadam Gelge
- May glorious Kannada prevail; a common rallying line
- Ekikarana
- Unification; the movement for a single Kannada state
- Arishina and kumkuma
- Turmeric and vermilion, the colours of the Kannada flag
- Namma
- Our; as in "namma Bengaluru" or "namma Karnataka"
How to wish someone on Karnataka Rajyotsava
A Rajyotsava wish is about Kannada: the language, its writers and songs, and the places people call home. "Kannada Rajyotsavada hardika shubhashayagalu" is the standard greeting, and a line in Kannada, even a short one, means a lot, especially from someone who moved to Karnataka from elsewhere. Keep it proud and welcoming. Don't turn it into a language argument or compare Kannada with other languages.
Write a few lines in your own words, pick a design and share it as one link on WhatsApp, Instagram or anywhere else. They open an animated card made just for them, with no app and no sign-up.
Language tip: English, Hindi + regional language.
When is Karnataka Rajyotsava in 2026 and 2027?
Karnataka Rajyotsava is on 1 Nov every year. Only the weekday changes.
- 2026
- 2027
Frequently asked questions
When was Karnataka formed?
Karnataka was formed on 1 November 1956, when the States Reorganisation Act joined the Kannada-speaking areas of Mysore, Bombay, Hyderabad and Madras states and Coorg into one state. It was called Mysore State until 1 November 1973, when it was renamed Karnataka.
Why was Mysore State renamed Karnataka?
Mysore was the name of the old princely state in the south, and many argued it did not represent the regions that joined in 1956. The state was renamed Karnataka on 1 November 1973 under Chief Minister Devaraj Urs to reflect the whole Kannada-speaking region.
Who designed the Kannada flag?
The Kannada flag was designed by Ma Ramamurthy in the 1960s. Its yellow and red stand for turmeric and vermilion, symbols of auspiciousness, and the flag is hoisted across Karnataka on Rajyotsava.
Who is known as the father of Karnataka unification?
Aluru Venkata Rao is honoured as Kannada Kulapurohita for his writing and campaigning for a united Kannada state from 1905 onwards. His book "Karnataka Gatha Vaibhava" helped build the idea of a shared Kannada history.
How do you say Happy Karnataka Rajyotsava in Kannada?
Say "Kannada Rajyotsavada hardika shubhashayagalu", which means "heartfelt wishes on Kannada Rajyotsava". Many people add "Siri Gannadam Gelge", meaning "may glorious Kannada prevail".
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