About Bhagat Singh Jayanti
Bhagat Singh Jayanti is the birth anniversary of the revolutionary Bhagat Singh, born on 28 September 1907 in Banga, Lyallpur district, now in Pakistan. It is marked with tributes across India and a state function at his ancestral village, Khatkar Kalan, in Punjab. In 2027 it falls on Tuesday, 28 September 2027.
Bhagat Singh was hanged at 23. His death anniversary on 23 March is a day of mourning. His birth anniversary in late September is when Punjab and the rest of the country remember the life: the student, the writer, the young man who chose to be arrested so that he could speak in court.
Who was Bhagat Singh?
He was born into a family already in the freedom movement. His father Kishan Singh and uncle Ajit Singh were active in the politics around the Ghadar movement, and the family called the baby Bhaganwala, "the lucky one". He was the second of seven children of Kishan Singh and Vidyavati.
- 1907Born in Banga
Born in a village in Lyallpur district of British Punjab, now Faisalabad in Pakistan.
- 1923National College, Lahore
Joins the college founded by Lala Lajpat Rai, where he meets other young nationalists.
- 1928HSRA
Helps rename the Hindustan Republican Association as the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association. In December his group shoots the police officer John Saunders in Lahore, mistaking him for James Scott, to avenge Lajpat Rai's death.
- 8 April 1929Assembly protest
With Batukeshwar Dutt, throws low-force bombs into the Central Legislative Assembly in Delhi, shouts "Inquilab Zindabad" and courts arrest. Both get life sentences.
- 1929Hunger strike
Fasts 116 days over prison conditions, ending on 5 October 1929. His comrade Jatin Das dies after 63 days.
- 1930Prison writing
Writes essays and letters in jail, including "Why I Am an Atheist".
- 23 March 1931Hanged in Lahore
Executed at Lahore jail with Sukhdev and Rajguru, aged 23, with the time moved up by 11 hours.
The Assembly bombs were designed to make noise, not to kill, and the leaflet thrown with them explained why.
It takes a loud voice to make the deaf hear
27 or 28 September?
Sources disagree. Many biographies give 27 September 1907, and some give the 28th. The Government of India's broadcaster, All India Radio, and the Punjab government's state function both mark 28 September, and that is the date most Indians now observe. If the school, gurdwara committee or family you're writing to holds its programme on the 27th, simply follow them. Nobody will mind a tribute a day early.
There is a second mix-up worth knowing. His birthplace, Banga, is a village near Faisalabad in Pakistan, not the town of Banga in Indian Punjab. The Indian connection is his ancestral village, Khatkar Kalan, in Nawanshahr district, which was renamed Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar in his honour. Pakistan has declared the Banga village a national heritage site, and a memorial fair is held there each 23 March.
How Bhagat Singh Jayanti is marked
The main state observance is at Khatkar Kalan. In 2025, his 118th birth anniversary, the Punjab government held a two-day Inquilab Mela there on 28 and 29 September, opening with a cycle rally from Nawanshahr, honouring members of his family, and closing with Bhangra, Giddha and Punjabi singers. A 100-foot national flag was raised in the village the same year. The Shaheed-e-Azam Sardar Bhagat Singh Museum in Khatkar Kalan opened on the 50th anniversary of his death, and a memorial was added in 2009.
His name now sits on places people pass every day. On 28 September 2022, his 115th birth anniversary, the Chandigarh airport at Mohali was renamed Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport. An 18-foot statue of him has stood in Parliament since 2008.
Whether the day is a holiday changes with the government. Punjab has switched it between a gazetted and a restricted holiday more than once, so check that year's state notification. Haryana's holiday list marks his martyrdom on 23 March rather than his birth anniversary. Outside Punjab, the day is mostly marked in schools, colleges and youth groups with debates, readings and wreaths at his statues.
Writing a tribute
Write as you would on any great person's birth anniversary: with respect, not celebration. "Remembering", "naman" and "humble tribute" all work in English, Hindi and Punjabi. A specific detail, such as his age, the Assembly leaflet or the books he read in prison, carries more weight than a string of adjectives.
Remembering Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh on his birth anniversary. He was hanged at 23, younger than most of us in this group. Naman.
Bhagat Singh kept reading and writing through two years in prison. On his birth anniversary, pick up the book you've been putting off.
Remembering Bhagat Singh, born on this day in 1907. A short life, and a long shadow over everything that came after. Humble tribute.
Khatkar Kalan will be full today. Remembering Shaheed-e-Azam on his birth anniversary, with respect from far away.
8 April 1929: two young men in the Assembly gallery, a leaflet, and "Inquilab Zindabad". Remembering Bhagat Singh on his birth anniversary.
Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh ji de janam dihaade te koti koti pranaam. Inquilab Zindabad. (Countless salutes to Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh on his birth anniversary. Long live the revolution.)
Do
- Use "remembering", "tribute" or "naman"; it is a birth anniversary of a man who was executed.
- Name what he did: the Assembly protest, the hunger strike, his writing.
- Check a quote against his published writings before forwarding it.
Avoid
- Don't write "Happy Bhagat Singh Jayanti" or add party emojis.
- Avoid images of guns, blood or the noose.
- Don't use the day to attack Gandhi or any other leader; the history is argued over, and a tribute needs none of that.
His death is remembered on Shaheed Diwas, 23 March, with Sukhdev and Rajguru. Punjab's own statehood is marked on Punjab Day.
How to wish someone on Bhagat Singh Jayanti
This is a day of tribute, not a party. Write "remembering" or "naman" instead of "Happy", and keep it short. Mention something he actually did: the 1929 Assembly protest, the 116-day hunger strike, the essays he wrote in prison, or that he was hanged at 23. Leave out guns, blood and nooses, and don't use him to run down other freedom fighters. Check any quote before you share it, since many lines credited to him online are not his.
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, Punjabi + Hindi.
When is Bhagat Singh Jayanti in each year?
Bhagat Singh Jayanti is on 28 Sept every year. Only the weekday changes.
- 2026
- 2027
- 2028
Frequently asked questions
When is Bhagat Singh Jayanti in 2027?
Bhagat Singh Jayanti 2027 falls on Tuesday, 28 September 2027.
Was Bhagat Singh born on 27 or 28 September?
Biographies differ, with many giving 27 September 1907 and some 28 September. The Government of India and the Punjab government mark his birth anniversary on 28 September, which is the date most people in India observe.
Where was Bhagat Singh born?
Bhagat Singh was born in Banga, a village in Lyallpur district of British Punjab, now Faisalabad district in Pakistan. His family's ancestral village is Khatkar Kalan in Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar district of Indian Punjab, where the main Indian observance is held.
Why is Bhagat Singh called Shaheed-e-Azam?
Shaheed-e-Azam means "the greatest martyr" in Urdu. Bhagat Singh is given the title because he was hanged by the British in 1931 at the age of 23 for his part in the freedom struggle.
What is the difference between Bhagat Singh Jayanti and Shaheed Diwas?
Bhagat Singh Jayanti on 28 September marks his birth in 1907. Shaheed Diwas on 23 March marks the day in 1931 when he, Sukhdev and Rajguru were hanged in Lahore jail.
Is Bhagat Singh Jayanti a holiday in Punjab?
It depends on the year. The Punjab government has switched 28 September between a gazetted and a restricted holiday more than once, so check the state's holiday notification for the current year.
What should you write on Bhagat Singh Jayanti?
Write a tribute rather than a greeting: "Remembering Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh on his birth anniversary" or "Naman" is enough. Avoid "Happy", party emojis and violent imagery.
Last verified by the Kehdoo team on .