About Rajasthan Day
Rajasthan Diwas, or Rajasthan Day, marks the inauguration of Greater Rajasthan in Jaipur on 30 March 1949, when Jaipur, Jodhpur, Bikaner and Jaisalmer joined the new union. It was kept on 30 March for decades, but since 2025 the state government celebrates it on Chaitra Shukla Pratipada, the Hindu new year. In 2027 it falls on Wednesday, 7 April 2027.
Why is Rajasthan Diwas no longer on 30 March?
Rajasthan Diwas moved off 30 March because the state government decided in 2025 to follow the Hindu calendar. On 13 March 2025 Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma told the Legislative Assembly that the day would from then on be celebrated on Chaitra Shukla Pratipada, the first day of the bright half of Chaitra and the start of the Vikram Samvat new year, in keeping with Indian tradition. In 2026 that meant 19 March instead of 30 March.
The argument behind the change is older than the decision. A 2023 ETV Bharat report said the 1949 inauguration had itself been timed by a Jaipur astrologer, Pandit Narayanatmaj Madan Mohan Sharma, to fall on Chaitra Shukla Pratipada under the Revati nakshatra. Whatever one makes of the astrology, the historical anniversary is still 30 March 1949, and many people, older textbooks and competitive-exam guides continue to use that date.
How was Rajasthan formed?
Rajasthan was formed in seven stages between 1948 and 1956, as the princely states of Rajputana, about two dozen of them, merged one group at a time. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, then Home Minister, drove the process. The 30 March 1949 stage matters most because it brought in the four biggest states, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Bikaner and Jaisalmer, and made Jaipur the capital. Patel inaugurated Greater Rajasthan in Jaipur that day, with Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II of Jaipur as Rajpramukh and Hiralal Shastri as the first Prime Minister, as chief ministers were then called.
| Stage | Date | What happened |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 18 March 1948 | Alwar, Bharatpur, Dholpur and Karauli form the Matsya Union |
| 2 | 25 March 1948 | Kota, Bundi, Jhalawar, Tonk, Banswara, Dungarpur and other states form the Union of Rajasthan |
| 3 | 18 April 1948 | Udaipur (Mewar) joins, creating the United State of Rajasthan |
| 4 | 30 March 1949 | Jaipur, Jodhpur, Bikaner and Jaisalmer join to form Greater Rajasthan |
| 5 | 15 May 1949 | The Matsya Union merges into Greater Rajasthan |
| 6 | 26 January 1950 | Most of Sirohi joins, as India becomes a republic |
| 7 | 1 November 1956 | Under the States Reorganisation Act, Ajmer and Abu are added, giving the state its present shape |
The result is India's largest state by area. It also explains why Rajasthanis often speak of their home by its old regions rather than districts: Marwar around Jodhpur, Mewar around Udaipur, Dhundhar around Jaipur, Hadoti around Kota, Shekhawati in the north-east and Braj near Bharatpur. Each was once a kingdom or cluster of kingdoms, with its own dialect, dress and food.
How is Rajasthan Diwas celebrated?
Rajasthan Diwas is celebrated mainly through state-run cultural programmes, led by the Rajasthan Tourism Department. Jaipur hosts the largest events, with performances around Albert Hall, and Jodhpur, Jaisalmer and Udaipur hold their own. In 2026 the celebrations were stretched into a six-day festival, from 14 to 19 March, ending on Chaitra Shukla Pratipada.
Typical events include folk dance such as Ghoomar and Kalbelia, Chari dancers balancing lit pots on their heads, Kathputli puppet shows, Maand singing, light-and-sound shows at forts, and a food and craft fair at Jawahar Kala Kendra's Shilpgram, with stalls from Mewar, Marwar, Dhundhar, Hadoti and Braj. Government offices and schools hold talks on the state's integration and on figures like Patel.
For Rajasthani families outside the state, in Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, the Gulf or the United States, Rajasthan Diwas is often a community evening organised by a Marwari or Rajasthani association: a dinner of dal-baati-churma or gatte ki sabzi and an evening of folk music.
What to write on Rajasthan Diwas
A Rajasthan Diwas message works best when it names something real about the state or the person's corner of it. A "Khamma ghani" at the start, or a reference to their home town, lands better than a generic line about deserts and forts.
Khamma ghani, Maa-Papa. Rajasthan Diwas ri ghani ghani badhai. Save me some churma; I'll be home before the heat sets in.
Happy Rajasthan Diwas. Bengaluru has good coffee, but it doesn't have your mother's ker sangri. Hope you find a Rajasthani thali somewhere tonight.
Wishing you a happy Rajasthan Diwas. You keep saying "padharo mhare des" about Jodhpur. One of these days the whole team will take you up on it.
Warm wishes to everyone at the association on Rajasthan Diwas. Thank you for keeping the language, songs and food alive for our children here.
Warm greetings on Rajasthan Diwas. Wishing you and your team a good year and a strong season ahead.
Ghani ghani badhai on Rajasthan Diwas, Dadaji. You were a boy when Jaipur became the capital. Tell us again what it was like.
- Khamma ghani
- A common Rajasthani greeting, roughly "respectful greetings"; used for hello and for goodbye.
- Ghani ghani badhai
- "Many, many congratulations" in Rajasthani.
- Padharo mhare des
- "Come to my land"; a line from the folk song Kesariya Balam, used as a welcome.
- Chaitra Shukla Pratipada
- First day of the bright fortnight of Chaitra, the Hindu new year and now Rajasthan Diwas.
- Rajpramukh
- Head of a union of princely states after 1947, usually one of the former rulers.
Do
- Mention a real place, dish, song or person that connects the reader to Rajasthan.
- If you use Rajasthani words, keep them simple and spell them the way people say them.
- Include every Rajasthani, whatever their faith, caste or region; the state belongs to all of them.
Avoid
- Don't reduce the state to camels, sand and palaces in a message to someone from there.
- Avoid wishes that glorify one princely house or caste as "the" Rajasthan.
- Don't argue about the date change in a greeting; either date is understood.
For other state days in the same season, see Bihar Day and Odisha Day, or browse the 2027 calendar.
How to wish someone on Rajasthan Day
A good Rajasthan Diwas wish is about belonging to a place: the language, the food, a home town, the people who built the state. For someone far from home, name the thing they miss. Rajasthani greetings like "Khamma ghani" or "ghani ghani badhai" make it personal. Keep regional pride warm, not boastful, and avoid pitting one region or community against another.
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 Rajasthan Day in 2026 and 2027?
Rajasthan Day is set by the Hindu lunisolar calendar, so it falls on a different date each year. In 2027 it falls 19 days later than in 2026.
- 2026
- 2027
Frequently asked questions
When is Rajasthan Day in 2027?
Rajasthan Day 2027 falls on Wednesday, 7 April 2027.
Why was Rajasthan Diwas originally celebrated on 30 March?
Rajasthan Diwas was celebrated on 30 March because Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel inaugurated Greater Rajasthan in Jaipur on 30 March 1949. That merger brought Jaipur, Jodhpur, Bikaner and Jaisalmer into the union and made Jaipur the capital.
Why did Rajasthan Day move to Chaitra Shukla Pratipada?
In March 2025, Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma announced in the Assembly that Rajasthan Diwas would be celebrated on Chaitra Shukla Pratipada, the Hindu new year, in line with Indian tradition. The date now changes each year; in 2026 it was 19 March.
How many stages did it take to form Rajasthan?
Rajasthan was formed in seven stages, beginning with the Matsya Union on 18 March 1948 and ending on 1 November 1956, when Ajmer and Abu were added under the States Reorganisation Act.
Who was the first Chief Minister of Rajasthan?
Hiralal Shastri headed the first government of Greater Rajasthan in 1949, with the title of Prime Minister, which was then used for state heads of government. Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II of Jaipur was the Rajpramukh.
How do you say Happy Rajasthan Day in Rajasthani?
A simple Rajasthani wish is "Rajasthan Diwas ri ghani ghani badhai", meaning "many, many congratulations on Rajasthan Day". Many people begin with "Khamma ghani", the everyday respectful greeting.
Last verified by the Kehdoo team on .