About Shaheed Diwas
Shaheed Diwas on 23 March remembers Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev Thapar and Shivaram Rajguru, the three revolutionaries hanged by the British in Lahore Central Jail on 23 March 1931. In 2027 it falls on Tuesday, 23 March 2027. It is a state holiday in Punjab and a day of tributes across India, separate from the national Martyrs' Day on 30 January.
Bhagat Singh was 23 when he was hanged. Sukhdev was 23 and Rajguru 22. Much of the weight of Shaheed Diwas comes from those ages, and from the fact that all three had spent the last two years of their lives turning a prison trial into a public argument about freedom.
What happened on 23 March 1931?
On the evening of 23 March 1931, Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev Thapar and Shivaram Rajguru were hanged in Lahore Central Jail, in present-day Pakistan. They had been sentenced to death in the Lahore Conspiracy Case and were due to hang on 24 March. The authorities moved the execution forward by about eleven hours, fearing unrest in the city. Accounts of the exact time differ slightly, between 7.15 and 7.30 pm.
The bodies were taken out of the jail in secret, cremated in the dark near the Sutlej river outside Ferozepur, and the ashes put into the river. That riverbank at Hussainiwala is now the National Martyrs Memorial.
- 17 Dec 1928Saunders shot in Lahore
Bhagat Singh and Rajguru kill police officer John Saunders. They had meant to target Superintendent James Scott, whom they held responsible for the baton charge that fatally injured Lala Lajpat Rai.
- 8 Apr 1929Bombs in the Central Assembly
Bhagat Singh and Batukeshwar Dutt throw two low-intensity bombs into the Assembly chamber in Delhi, shout "Inquilab Zindabad", scatter leaflets and wait to be arrested.
- 1929Hunger strike
In jail, Bhagat Singh leads a long hunger strike for the rights of political prisoners. Jatindra Nath Das dies on the 63rd day.
- 7 Oct 1930Death sentences
A special tribunal in the Lahore Conspiracy Case sentences the three to hang.
- 23 Mar 1931Execution
They are hanged in Lahore Central Jail a day ahead of schedule and cremated secretly at Hussainiwala.
Who were Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru?
Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru were members of the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA), a revolutionary group that wanted an independent, socialist India and was prepared to use force against colonial rule. They came from very different places, which is part of why they are remembered together.
| Name | Born | Age at death | Remembered for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bhagat Singh | 27 September 1907, Banga, Lyallpur district, Punjab | 23 | The Assembly bombing, his prison writings including "Why I Am an Atheist", and the title Shaheed-e-Azam |
| Sukhdev Thapar | 15 May 1907, Ludhiana, Punjab | 23 | Head of the HSRA's Punjab unit; listed as accused number one in the Lahore Conspiracy Case |
| Shivaram Rajguru | 24 August 1908, Khed near Pune, Maharashtra | 22 | The Saunders shooting; his home town is now called Rajgurunagar |
Bhagat Singh read widely in jail and wrote essays and letters that are still in print. He did not accept Gandhi's commitment to non-violence, and he described himself as an atheist and a socialist. Many people who honour him today hold views he argued against, and it is fair to remember him as he actually was.
How is Shaheed Diwas observed?
Shaheed Diwas is observed most strongly in Punjab. Since 2022 the Punjab government has declared 23 March a state holiday, and the Chandigarh administration did the same that year. The main gatherings are at two places.
At Hussainiwala in Ferozepur district, a Shaheedi Mela is held at the National Martyrs Memorial on the Sutlej. Batukeshwar Dutt, Bhagat Singh's partner in the Assembly bombing, was cremated there after his death in 1965, as he had asked, and so was Bhagat Singh's mother, Vidyawati. The site lay on the Pakistani side after Partition and came to India in 1961, in exchange for twelve villages near the Sulemanki headworks in Fazilka.
At Khatkar Kalan, his family's ancestral village in Indian Punjab (he himself was born in Lyallpur district, now in Pakistan), a museum opened on the 50th anniversary of his death holds some of his ashes, a copy of the Bhagavad Gita he signed in Lahore jail, and other belongings.
Elsewhere, schools hold assemblies with speeches and patriotic songs, colleges run debates on the HSRA's ideas, and political leaders across parties pay tributes. In Maharashtra, Rajguru is remembered in Rajgurunagar, his birthplace.
Which other days are called Martyrs' Day in India?
Several dates in India are called Martyrs' Day, so it helps to be precise. The national Martyrs' Day is 30 January, and 23 March is the most widely marked of the others.
| Date | Remembers |
|---|---|
| 30 January | Mahatma Gandhi, assassinated in 1948; two minutes' silence at 11 am across the country |
| 23 March | Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru, hanged in 1931 |
| 19 May | Eleven people killed in 1961 in the Bengali language movement in Assam's Barak Valley |
| 21 October | Police personnel killed on duty, remembered from an ambush on the Indo-Tibetan border |
| 24 November | Guru Tegh Bahadur, the ninth Sikh Guru, executed in Delhi on Aurangzeb's orders |
For the national observance, see Martyrs' Day.
What should you write on Shaheed Diwas?
A Shaheed Diwas message is a tribute, and the best ones are brief. Name all three men, not only Bhagat Singh, and leave out "Happy". A line about what they asked of the country, or about their ages, carries more than a slogan.
On Shaheed Diwas we remember Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru, who were 23, 23 and 22 when they were hanged for India's freedom.
Bhagat Singh spent his last months in jail reading and writing. On Shaheed Diwas, read one of his essays and argue with it as he would have wanted.
Remembering Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru on Shaheed Diwas, and the freedom they did not live to see.
Thinking of Hussainiwala and Khatkar Kalan today. Shaheedan nu salaam.
Ninety-odd years later, three young men from Banga, Ludhiana and Khed still ask what we are doing with the freedom they died for.
Do
- Name all three: Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev Thapar and Shivaram Rajguru.
- Keep the tone quiet; a candle, a flower or a plain photograph is enough.
- Check any quote before sharing it; many lines credited to Bhagat Singh online are not his.
Avoid
- Don't write "Happy Shaheed Diwas" or use party symbols.
- Avoid graphic images of the gallows.
- Don't use the day to attack Gandhi, Pakistan or any community.
How to wish someone on Shaheed Diwas
Shaheed Diwas is a day of remembrance, so write a tribute rather than a greeting. Name the three men, mention their age or one thing they stood for, and keep it short. Avoid "Happy Shaheed Diwas", violent imagery, and using the day to attack Gandhi or any community; the history is argued over, and a message of respect needs none of that.
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 Shaheed Diwas in 2026 and 2027?
Shaheed Diwas is on 23 Mar every year. Only the weekday changes.
- 2026
- 2027
Frequently asked questions
When is Shaheed Diwas in 2027?
Shaheed Diwas 2027 falls on Tuesday, 23 March 2027.
Why is Shaheed Diwas observed on 23 March?
Shaheed Diwas is observed on 23 March because Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev Thapar and Shivaram Rajguru were hanged by the British in Lahore Central Jail on that day in 1931. They had been sentenced to death in the Lahore Conspiracy Case.
What is the difference between Martyrs' Day on 30 January and Shaheed Diwas on 23 March?
The national Martyrs' Day on 30 January marks Mahatma Gandhi's assassination in 1948, with two minutes' silence at 11 am. Shaheed Diwas on 23 March remembers Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru, executed in 1931.
Where were Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru cremated?
They were cremated secretly at night near the Sutlej river at Hussainiwala, outside Ferozepur in Punjab, and their ashes were put into the river. The site is now the National Martyrs Memorial, where a Shaheedi Mela is held every 23 March.
Why were Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru hanged a day early?
They were due to be hanged on 24 March 1931, but the British authorities brought the execution forward by about eleven hours, to the evening of 23 March, because they feared protests in Lahore.
Is it right to say "Happy Shaheed Diwas"?
No. Shaheed Diwas marks the execution of three young freedom fighters, so a message of tribute or remembrance fits better than "Happy". Simple lines such as "Remembering Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru" are appropriate.
Is 23 March a holiday?
23 March is a state holiday in Punjab, declared by the state government in 2022, and Chandigarh declared a holiday that year too. It is not a national public holiday, and offices elsewhere in India stay open.
Last verified by the Kehdoo team on .