About Haryana Day
Haryana Day, or Haryana Diwas, marks 1 November 1966, when the Punjab Reorganisation Act created Haryana from the Hindi-speaking districts of Punjab, making it India's 17th state. It is observed across the state with government functions and cultural programmes, and in 2026 it falls on Sunday, 1 November 2026.
Haryana is one of India's younger states, but the region is old. Kurukshetra, Panipat and Thanesar are all here, and the state government's own history begins with the Vedas. Haryana Day marks something much more recent: the day in 1966 when the Hindi-speaking south and east of Punjab became a state of their own.
Why is Haryana Day celebrated on 1 November?
Haryana Day is celebrated on 1 November because the Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966 came into force on that date. Parliament passed the Act on 18 September 1966. It split the old state of Punjab along language lines: the Punjabi-speaking areas stayed as Punjab, the Hindi-speaking areas became Haryana, and some hill areas went to Himachal Pradesh. Chandigarh was made a union territory and became the shared capital of both Punjab and Haryana, which it still is.
Haryana began with about 44,000 square kilometres, and Bhagwat Dayal Sharma became its first Chief Minister. The state now has 22 districts and a population of about 3.1 crore.
How was Haryana carved out of Punjab?
Haryana was carved out of Punjab as a result of the Punjabi Suba movement, which demanded a Punjabi-speaking state. When the central government accepted that demand in 1966, the Hindi-speaking districts that did not belong in a Punjabi state were formed into Haryana.
The Haryana government's history of the state traces the demand back much further. After the revolt of 1857, in which the region took part, the British attached it to the Punjab province in 1858, which the state history describes as a punishment. The region's people kept what the state history calls ties of roti and beti, of food and marriage, with Delhi and western Uttar Pradesh, and before independence leaders such as Pandit Neki Ram Sharma, Deshbandhu Gupta and Shri Ram Sharma met Gandhi to ask that its districts be joined to Delhi. At the Second Round Table Conference in 1931, a Punjab government official suggested separating the Ambala Division from Punjab on the same grounds.
The 1966 settlement left some questions open. The shared capital at Chandigarh and the sharing of river waters with Punjab are still argued over between the two states, which is worth knowing before you write a Haryana Day message to someone in Chandigarh.
Where does the name Haryana come from?
The name Haryana has several suggested origins, and the state government's own history lists them without choosing one. An inscription from Bohar village in Rohtak district, from the reign of Balban, calls the region Hariyanaka. Other explanations link it to Hari, understood here as Indra, worshipped for rain in a dry tract; to a king described as "hariyana" in the Rigveda; or to old names such as Bahudhanyaka that suggest a land of plentiful grain.
How is Haryana Day celebrated?
Haryana Day is celebrated with state government functions, cultural programmes in schools and colleges, and award ceremonies, the usual pattern for state foundation days in India. Many Haryanvis also use the day to post about the state's farms, its food and its sportspeople.
Sport is a large part of how Haryana sees itself. The state's official website calls it number one in sports, and one of its best-known faces is Neeraj Chopra, from Khandra village in Panipat district, who won India's first Olympic gold in athletics with a throw of 87.58 metres in Tokyo on 7 August 2021 and added a silver at Paris 2024. Wrestling and boxing medals from the state are just as much a point of pride.
Food is the other. Haryanvi cooking is built on wheat, bajra, maize and dairy: bajra khichdi, besan masala roti, singri ki sabzi, methi with carrots, kachri chutney, and sweets such as panjiri, pinni and malpua.
Desaan mein des Haryana, jit doodh dahi ka khana.
Which other states celebrate on 1 November?
Haryana shares 1 November with several other states whose formation days fall on the same date, so a Haryana Day message is often one of several you might send that morning.
| State | Formed on 1 November | How |
|---|---|---|
| Haryana | 1966 | Punjab Reorganisation Act |
| Punjab (present boundaries) | 1966 | Same Act, as the Punjabi-speaking state |
| Karnataka (as Mysore State) | 1956 | States Reorganisation Act |
| Kerala | 1956 | States Reorganisation Act |
| Madhya Pradesh | 1956 | States Reorganisation Act |
| Chhattisgarh | 2000 | Madhya Pradesh Reorganisation Act |
See Karnataka Rajyotsava, Kerala Piravi and Chhattisgarh Rajyotsava for those days.
What should you write on Haryana Day?
A good Haryana Day message is short and warm, and mentions something real about the state: a village, a dish, a sport, a relative in the army or on the farm. Hindi or Haryanvi works for family; English is fine for colleagues.
Haryana Diwas ki ghani badhai, Tau ji. Ram Ram to everyone at home. Save me a glass of lassi for Diwali.
Happy Haryana Day! To the state that gave us Neeraj Chopra, the best kadhi I've ever eaten, and you.
Wishing you a happy Haryana Day. Hope you get a call home and a good meal today.
Happy Haryana Day to the pride of the akhada. Keep training; the whole village is watching.
Happy Haryana Day from the other side of the country. Missing bajra roti, white butter and the fields in winter.
- Haryana Diwas
- Haryana Day in Hindi.
- Ghani badhai
- Haryanvi for "many congratulations".
- Ram Ram
- The everyday Haryanvi greeting.
- Tau ji
- Father's elder brother; also a respectful address for older men.
- Akhada
- A traditional wrestling school.
How to wish someone on Haryana Day
A Haryana Day wish is about the land and its people: farming families, milk and bajra, wrestlers and javelin throwers, soldiers, and the towns that have grown into cities around Delhi. Keep it warm and plain, the way Haryanvis speak. Avoid the tired jokes about Haryanvi bluntness, and don't turn the day into a Punjab-versus-Haryana argument over Chandigarh or water.
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 Haryana Day in 2026 and 2027?
Haryana Day is on 1 Nov every year. Only the weekday changes.
- 2026
- 2027
Frequently asked questions
When was Haryana formed?
Haryana was formed on 1 November 1966, when the Punjab Reorganisation Act came into force and separated the Hindi-speaking districts of Punjab into a new state. It was India's 17th state.
Who was the first Chief Minister of Haryana?
Bhagwat Dayal Sharma was the first Chief Minister of Haryana, taking office when the state was formed on 1 November 1966.
Why do Haryana and Punjab share Chandigarh as their capital?
When Punjab was split in 1966, Chandigarh, built as Punjab's capital, was made a union territory and designated the capital of both states. The two states' legislatures, secretariats and a common High Court still sit there.
What languages are official in Haryana?
Hindi is the official language of Haryana, and Punjabi was made the second official language in 2010. Haryanvi, a regional language close to Hindi, is spoken by more than a third of the population.
Is Punjab Day also on 1 November?
Yes. The same 1966 Act created Punjab in its present shape, so Punjab's reorganisation anniversary also falls on 1 November, along with the formation days of Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.
Last verified by the Kehdoo team on .