About Parakram Diwas
Parakram Diwas, the "Day of Valour", marks the birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, born in Cuttack on 23 January 1897. The Government of India named the day in 2021, and it now opens the Republic Day celebrations. In 2027 it falls on Saturday, 23 January 2027.
Netaji's birthday was marked in Bengal and Odisha for decades before it had a national name. What changed in 2021 was the label and the scale: the Centre gave the day an official title, and a year later folded it into the Republic Day calendar.
Why is Parakram Diwas celebrated on 23 January?
Parakram Diwas falls on 23 January because Subhas Chandra Bose was born on that day in 1897, in Cuttack, then part of the Bengal Presidency, to Janakinath and Prabhabati Bose. On 19 January 2021, ahead of his 125th birth anniversary, the Government of India issued a gazette notification that 23 January would be observed every year as Parakram Diwas. The stated aim was to hold up Netaji's courage in adversity as an example, especially to young people.
The first Parakram Diwas was held at Victoria Memorial Hall in Kolkata, with the Prime Minister presiding, and a commemorative coin and stamp were released. From 2022, the government began Republic Day celebrations on 23 January instead of 24 January, so Netaji's birthday now opens the week that ends with Beating Retreat on 29 January.
What did Netaji do?
Netaji's public life ran from the Congress presidency to leading an army abroad. The short version most people half-remember skips the turns that make his story unusual.
- April 1921Leaves the ICS
Bose resigns from the Indian Civil Service, a post few Indians then held, and returns to join the national movement.
- 1938Congress President
Elected President at the Haripura session.
- 1939Re-elected, then resigns
Wins again at Tripuri against Gandhi's preferred candidate, steps down after the split, and founds the Forward Bloc in June.
- January 1941Escape from Calcutta
Slips out of house arrest on the night of 17 January and reaches Berlin by April.
- February 1943Submarine to Asia
Travels by German and then Japanese submarine to Southeast Asia.
- 21 October 1943Azad Hind
Proclaims the Provisional Government of Free India at the Cathay Cinema Hall, Singapore, and takes command of the Indian National Army.
- 18 August 1945Death reported
Dies of burns after an air crash at Taihoku (now Taipei); his ashes are kept at Renkoji Temple in Tokyo.
The title "Netaji", respected leader, was first used for him by Indian soldiers and officials in Germany in early 1942. The greeting "Jai Hind" was coined earlier, by the revolutionary Chempakaraman Pillai, but it spread across the country after the INA adopted it as its slogan under Bose; prime ministers since Nehru have closed speeches with it. The INA also raised the Rani of Jhansi Regiment, a women's combat unit commanded by Captain Lakshmi Swaminadhan, later Lakshmi Sahgal.
His death has been argued over for eighty years, and several official inquiries have looked into it. On a day of tribute, it is kinder to leave that debate out of your message unless you know the reader wants it.
Why do some call it Desh Nayak Divas instead?
Parakram Diwas is the Centre's name; West Bengal's government calls 23 January Desh Nayak Divas, "Day of the Nation's Hero". Before the 2021 notification, the Forward Bloc and members of Bose's family had asked for the day to be named Deshprem Divas, "Day of Patriotism", and West Bengal's Chief Minister had asked for a national holiday. When the Centre chose "Parakram", valour, both objected.
For the reader, the practical point is simple. All three names honour the same man on the same date. If you are writing to someone in Kolkata, "Netaji Jayanti" is the phrase they grew up with and the safest one to use.
| Name | Used by | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Parakram Diwas | Government of India, since 2021 | Day of Valour |
| Netaji Jayanti | Common usage, especially Bengal and Odisha | Netaji's birth anniversary |
| Desh Nayak Divas | Government of West Bengal | Day of the Nation's Hero |
| Deshprem Divas | Proposed by the Forward Bloc and Bose's family | Day of Patriotism |
How is Parakram Diwas observed?
Parakram Diwas is observed with official programmes rather than a national holiday. Netaji Jayanti is a state holiday in West Bengal, Odisha, Tripura, Jharkhand and Assam, and elsewhere offices and schools stay open.
- Kolkata: sirens sound at 12:15 pm, around the time he was born, and many households blow conch shells at that moment. Netaji Bhawan on Elgin Road, the family home from which he escaped in 1941, is kept as a memorial and draws crowds.
- Cuttack: the house where he was born is a museum and the focus of Odisha's observance.
- New Delhi: since 8 September 2022 a 28-foot statue of Netaji, carved from a single block of black granite by a team led by Arun Yogiraj, has stood under the canopy near India Gate, where a statue of George V once stood. Floral tributes are laid there on 23 January.
- Andaman and Nicobar Islands: the islands were the first Indian territory handed to the Azad Hind government, and the Centre held the 2026 national programme there over three days, with events at 13 other sites linked to Netaji.
Schools often hold quizzes and speeches on the INA, and NCC units parade. A good way for a family to mark the day is to read one of his speeches together or visit a nearby Netaji statue or memorial.
What to write on Parakram Diwas
A Parakram Diwas message works when it is specific. Mention one act, one place or one phrase. Avoid lines that turn his memory against other leaders of the freedom movement. Netaji and Gandhi disagreed openly in 1939, and that is history worth knowing, but a birthday tribute to one does not need to attack the other.
Netaji Jayantir shubhechha. At 12:15 today, let's blow the shankh together, even if it's over a video call.
On Parakram Diwas, remembering a man who resigned from the ICS at 24 because he wanted a free India more than a safe career.
Happy Parakram Diwas. Netaji cleared the ICS and still chose the harder road. May you have his nerve when your own big choice comes.
Jai Hind. On Netaji's birth anniversary, thank you for carrying the salute his army made famous.
23 January: Cuttack, 1897. Singapore, 1943. Remembering Netaji today, and the people of the INA who followed him.
Remembering Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose on his birth anniversary. Courage, discipline and a free India first. Jai Hind.
Do
- Name something concrete: the ICS resignation, the escape of 1941, the Azad Hind government, the Rani of Jhansi Regiment.
- Use "Netaji Jayanti" with people from Bengal and Odisha; it is the name they know.
- Keep it a tribute; "Remembering Netaji" works better than "Happy Parakram Diwas".
Avoid
- Don't forward unverified claims about how or when he died.
- Avoid pitting Netaji against Gandhi, Nehru or any other leader in a greeting.
- Don't confuse the day with Martyrs' Day on 30 January or with National Unity Day, which marks Sardar Patel.
For the rest of the week that begins on Netaji's birthday, see Republic Day, and for other national dates see the 2027 calendar.
How to wish someone on Parakram Diwas
A Parakram Diwas message is a tribute, not a party greeting. Name something Netaji actually did, such as resigning from the ICS, escaping house arrest in 1941 or leading the Azad Hind government, and keep the tone proud and plain. In Bengal and Odisha, where the day is also Netaji Jayanti or Desh Nayak Divas, a line in Bengali or Odia reads warmer than a slogan.
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 + recipient language.
When is Parakram Diwas in 2026 and 2027?
Parakram Diwas is on 23 Jan every year. Only the weekday changes.
- 2026
- 2027
Frequently asked questions
When is Parakram Diwas in 2027?
Parakram Diwas 2027 falls on Saturday, 23 January 2027.
What does Parakram Diwas mean?
Parakram Diwas means "Day of Valour" in Hindi. The Government of India chose the name in January 2021 for Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose's birth anniversary on 23 January, to honour his courage in the freedom struggle.
Is Parakram Diwas a national holiday?
Parakram Diwas is not a national gazetted holiday. Netaji Jayanti is a state holiday in West Bengal, Odisha, Tripura, Jharkhand and Assam, while the rest of the country marks it with official programmes, school events and tributes.
Where was Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose born?
Subhas Chandra Bose was born in Cuttack, in present-day Odisha, on 23 January 1897. His birthplace is now a museum, and his family home, Netaji Bhawan on Elgin Road in Kolkata, is also kept as a memorial.
Why do sirens sound in Kolkata at 12:15 pm on 23 January?
Sirens sound at 12:15 pm in Kolkata on Netaji Jayanti because that is the time Subhas Chandra Bose is said to have been born in 1897. Many families blow conch shells at the same moment as a tribute.
Did Netaji coin the slogan "Jai Hind"?
"Jai Hind" is credited to the revolutionary Chempakaraman Pillai, but it became famous when Subhas Chandra Bose's Indian National Army adopted it as its slogan in the 1940s. It is now a common salutation in the armed forces and in public speeches.
What is the difference between Parakram Diwas and Desh Nayak Divas?
Both names refer to 23 January, Netaji's birth anniversary. Parakram Diwas is the Government of India's name, adopted in 2021, while Desh Nayak Divas is the name used by the Government of West Bengal.
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