Shivaji Jayanti 2027

About Shivaji Jayanti

Shivaji Jayanti, or Shiv Jayanti, is the birth anniversary of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, who was born at Shivneri fort near Junnar in 1630 and founded the Maratha state. The Maharashtra government keeps it on 19 February, which in 2027 is Friday, 19 February 2027, as a state holiday. Some groups, including the Shiv Sena, mark it on the Hindu date, Phalgun Vadya Tritiya, a few weeks later.

Every 19 February, Maharashtra wakes up to saffron flags, dhol-tasha and the cry of "Jay Bhavani, Jay Shivaji". Schools stage plays about the young Shivaji, housing societies put up his portrait with garlands, and the state government holds its main ceremony at Shivneri, the hill fort above Junnar where he was born.

Who he was

Shivaji Bhonsle was the son of Shahaji, a Maratha general who served the Deccan Sultanates, and Jijabai, daughter of Lakhuji Jadhavrao of Sindkhed. He was named after Shivai, the goddess of the fort's own shrine. Marathi tellings of his life give Jijabai much of the credit for the man he became, and she is honoured alongside him on this day.

From his teens he took and built forts in the Sahyadri hills, and over three decades carved out a kingdom from the territory of Bijapur and the Mughals. He was crowned Chhatrapati at Raigad on 6 June 1674 and died there on 3 April 1680. People in Maharashtra remember him less as a conqueror than as "Rayatecha Raja", the king of the common people, and for the hill and sea forts that still stand. In 2025, twelve of them, including Shivneri, Raigad, Rajgad, Pratapgad and the sea fort of Sindhudurg, were inscribed together by UNESCO as the Maratha Military Landscapes of India.

Why 19 February, and why some keep another date

Maratha records give his birth as Phalgun Vadya Tritiya, the third day of the waning moon in Phalgun, in Shaka 1551. That works out to 19 February 1630 on the Julian calendar, which the Europeans of the time used. The same day on today's Gregorian calendar would be 1 March 1630, a detail Drik Panchang and others point out. Some historians argued for a different birth date, 6 April 1627.

In 1968 the Maharashtra government set up a committee of historians to settle it. It accepted 1630, and named both Phalgun Vadya Tritiya and 19 February. The state chose 19 February for the public holiday.

Many people, the Shiv Sena most prominently, keep the tithi instead, so Shiv Jayanti by the Hindu calendar falls a few weeks later, two days after Holi and just before Rang Panchami. In 2026 that was Friday 6 March. Both are honest readings of the same record.

How the day is marked

The Chief Minister and senior ministers go to Shivneri early in the morning, garland his statue and attend a cradle ceremony at the fort, a palna that marks his birth. Thousands of people climb the fort through the day. The night before, young people gather at other forts too; in 2025 hundreds lit torches across Ajinkyatara fort above Satara.

Across Maharashtra, mandals take out processions with dhol-tasha troupes, lezim dancers, saffron flags and boys dressed as mavle, the hill soldiers of his army. Statues in town squares are washed and garlanded. Schools hold speeches and plays, often of the Afzal Khan encounter at Pratapgad or the escape from Agra. Marathi families outside the state hold smaller versions. His 400th birth anniversary falls in 2030.

It is a state holiday in Maharashtra. Central government employees elsewhere can take it as a restricted holiday under the Department of Personnel and Training list. It sits close to Maharashtra Day in spirit, though that one, on 1 May, celebrates the state rather than the king.

What to write

Jayanti

Birth anniversary.

Phalgun Vadya Tritiya

The third day of the waning half of the month Phalgun; the Hindu date of his birth.

Shivneri

The hill fort near Junnar, Pune district, where he was born.

Jijau

An affectionate name for his mother, Jijabai.

Mavle

Soldiers from the Maval hill country who formed the core of his army.

Hardik shubhechha

Marathi for heartfelt good wishes.

How to wish someone on Shivaji Jayanti

A Shiv Jayanti wish is proud and respectful, and it is about the man: his mother Jijabai, the forts, the coronation at Raigad, his reputation as a king who looked after ordinary people. \"Jay Bhavani, Jay Shivaji\" is the slogan heard at every procession and suits friends and family. For elders, \"Shiv Jayantichya hardik shubhechha\" is the standard Marathi greeting. Keep it about history and pride, not about any party.

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, Marathi.

When is Shivaji Jayanti in each year?

Shivaji Jayanti is on 19 Feb every year. Only the weekday changes.

• 2026Thursday 19 Feb
• 2027Friday 19 Feb
• 2028Saturday 19 Feb

Frequently asked questions