About Uttar Pradesh Diwas
Uttar Pradesh Diwas, or UP Day, marks 24 January 1950, when the United Provinces were renamed Uttar Pradesh, two days before India became a republic. The state government has celebrated it every year since 2018, and in 2027 it falls on Sunday, 24 January 2027, with the main events in Lucknow and every district headquarters.
Uttar Pradesh is older than its name. The region has been ruled, divided and renamed many times, and the name "Uttar Pradesh", the northern province, is only as old as the Republic. It was fixed on 24 January 1950, two days before the Constitution came into force, and that date is what UP Diwas remembers.
How the United Provinces became Uttar Pradesh
The state's official NRI department traces the name through several British-era changes.
- Until 1834Part of the Bengal Presidency
The region was governed from Calcutta before a separate Agra Presidency was created.
- 1877North Western Provinces and Oudh
Awadh, annexed in 1856, was joined to the North Western Provinces under one administration.
- 1902United Provinces of Agra and Oudh
The name that gave the region its two initials, UP.
- 1921 to 1935Capital moves to Lucknow
A legislative council sat in Lucknow from 1921, and Governor Harcourt Butler shifted the offices there from Allahabad.
- 1 April 1937United Provinces
The name was shortened, with Lucknow as capital.
- 24 January 1950Uttar Pradesh
The Governor-General's United Provinces (Alteration of Name) Order, 1950 was published in the state gazette.
The new name was a compromise. A report in The Tribune, drawing on the record of the time, says some 20 names were suggested. When the provincial Congress committee met in Banaras in November 1949, 106 members voted for "Aryavarta" and 22 for "Hind". The Constituent Assembly turned "Aryavarta" down. R.K. Sidhwa, a member from the Central Provinces and Berar, objected that the United Provinces seemed to want the name of all India for itself. Dr B.R. Ambedkar, as law minister, then moved a bill letting the Governor-General change a province's name, and the province's members settled on Uttar Pradesh. It kept the initials everyone already used.
Why the day has only been marked since 2018
For nearly seven decades, 24 January passed without a state celebration. The idea came from Ram Naik, who was Governor of Uttar Pradesh from 2014 to 2019. He suggested that the state mark its foundation day the way Maharashtra marks Maharashtra Day on 1 May, so that people would learn the state's history and culture. The state government announced in May 2017 that it would celebrate UP Diwas every year, and the first celebration was held on 24 January 2018.
That first UP Diwas also launched One District One Product (ODOP), the state scheme that picks one traditional product from each of the 75 districts and builds support around it, from kala namak rice to chikankari and zari-zardozi embroidery. The ODOP stalls have been a fixture of the celebrations since.
How UP Diwas is marked
UP Diwas is marked with public events across the state, and the pattern has settled into a few days of programmes starting on 24 January.
- Lucknow hosts the main state function. For 2026 the state planned it at the Rashtra Prerna Sthal, opened the month before, with programmes from 24 to 26 January.
- Every district headquarters holds its own programme, with exhibitions from government departments and local craft stalls.
- Noida and Delhi host exhibitions and craft fairs. For the 75th foundation day in 2024, events ran from 24 January to 4 February at Awadh Shilpgram in Lucknow, Noida Haat and Connaught Place in Delhi.
- Awards: the state gives the Uttar Pradesh Gaurav Samman to people from the state who have done notable work, along with awards for artisans, ODOP entrepreneurs and craft workers under the Mati Kala Board.
- Schools and colleges hold quizzes, essay contests and cultural programmes on the state's history. For 2026 the state ran singing, dance and theatre contests from block level up, with the best performers picked for the state function.
People from the state living elsewhere also mark the day, through community associations in Mumbai, Delhi and abroad.
The week around UP Diwas is busy. Parakram Diwas, Netaji's birth anniversary, comes the day before. 24 January is also National Girl Child Day, National Voters' Day follows on 25 January, and Republic Day on 26 January.
What to write
Most UP Diwas messages are either official ("Hearty congratulations to the people of the state on Uttar Pradesh Diwas") or generic. A personal one lands better when it names something specific: the town, a dish from home, the ghats, the mango season, the first train home. For colleagues and clients, a short line of good wishes in English or Hindi is enough. Keep politics, leaders and slogans out of a personal card.
Happy UP Diwas. Wherever you are today, I hope there's a plate of something from home on your table and a call from Lucknow on your phone.
Happy Uttar Pradesh Diwas, Ma and Papa. Everything good in me started in our little town. Missing home today.
Happy UP Diwas, Ankit. Here's to your home state and to everyone from Banaras to Bareilly who makes our office better.
Warm wishes on Uttar Pradesh Diwas. May your home state keep growing, and may the year ahead be good for you and your family.
Happy UP Diwas from home. The fog is thick, the chai is strong and the ghats are as busy as ever. Come back soon.
Happy UP Diwas. You carry Gorakhpur with you wherever you study. Make the old town proud.
Uttar Pradesh Diwas ki hardik shubhkamnayein. Apni mitti, apni boli aur apne logon par hamesha garv rahe. (Warm wishes on Uttar Pradesh Day. May you always be proud of your soil, your language and your people.)
How to wish someone on Uttar Pradesh Diwas
A good UP Diwas wish speaks to pride in a particular place, not to the state in the abstract. Name the town, the food, the craft or the river the person grew up with, especially if they now live outside the state. Keep it warm and non-political, since the day belongs to everyone from the state whatever their party, faith or region within it.
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.
When is Uttar Pradesh Diwas in each year?
Uttar Pradesh Diwas is on 24 Jan every year. Only the weekday changes.
- 2026
- 2027
- 2028
Frequently asked questions
When is Uttar Pradesh Diwas in 2027?
Uttar Pradesh Diwas 2027 falls on Sunday, 24 January 2027.
Why is Uttar Pradesh Diwas celebrated on 24 January?
On 24 January 1950 the Governor-General issued the United Provinces (Alteration of Name) Order, 1950, which renamed the United Provinces as Uttar Pradesh. UP Diwas marks that renaming, two days before India became a republic.
Since when has UP Diwas been celebrated?
The Uttar Pradesh government first celebrated UP Diwas on 24 January 2018, after Governor Ram Naik suggested marking the state's foundation day as Maharashtra marks Maharashtra Day. It has been held every year since.
What was Uttar Pradesh called before 1950?
It was called the United Provinces from 1 April 1937, and before that the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh, a name used from 1902. Earlier still it was the North Western Provinces and Oudh.
What other names were considered for Uttar Pradesh?
About 20 names were suggested in 1949 and 1950. The provincial Congress committee preferred "Aryavarta", with "Hind" a distant second, but the Constituent Assembly rejected "Aryavarta" and the province's members settled on Uttar Pradesh, which kept the familiar initials UP.
What was launched on the first UP Diwas?
The One District One Product scheme was launched on 24 January 2018, the first UP Diwas. It picks a traditional product from each of the state's 75 districts, such as kala namak rice or chikankari, and supports the artisans who make it.
Last verified by the Kehdoo team on .