Haryana turns 60 today. The state, carved out of Punjab on November 1, 1966, is marking its diamond jubilee with state-level celebrations in Kurukshetra, and President Droupadi Murmu is the chief guest. Her day includes opening the Ratnavali folk festival at Kurukshetra University and launching a national rural development initiative in Panipat district.
For a state that began life as a largely agricultural region, the jubilee is a chance to look back at six decades of change and to set out where it wants to be by 2047.
President Murmu's Haryana Day programme
The President arrives in Haryana after a visit to Maharashtra, and her schedule is packed with events tied to the anniversary:
- Kurukshetra University: chief guest at the state-level Haryana Day ceremony, where an exhibition showcases the state's 60 years of progress and its goals for 2047.
- Ratnavali Mahotsav: inauguration of the four-day state festival of Haryanvi culture, the first time a President has opened it. She will also release the festival brochure and tour an exhibition of Haryanvi folk art.
- Gram Utthan Se Rashtra Utthan: launch of the national programme at Thirana village in Panipat, aimed at rural development, social awareness and nation building, with linked events at the Brahma Kumaris' Gyan Mansarovar centre in Madlauda.
- Kurukshetra visits: a visit to the Siddha Peeth Maa Bhadrakali temple and a ceremony at the Gurukul marking the centenary of Swami Shraddhanand's martyrdom.
Ratnavali festival moved to November 1-4
Ratnavali is Kurukshetra University's annual celebration of Haryana's folk traditions, from ragini and saang to folk dance and music. This year, the four-day festival was shifted from its earlier October 30 to November 2 window to November 1 to 4, so that it could open on Haryana Day with the President. More than 3,000 artists are expected to take part. An exhibition on drug-addiction awareness is also being prepared alongside the festival.
Key facts
| Occasion | Haryana Day, 60th anniversary (diamond jubilee) |
| State formed | November 1, 1966 |
| Chief guest | President Droupadi Murmu |
| Main venue | Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra |
| Ratnavali Mahotsav | November 1 to 4, 2026; 3,000+ artists |
| New programme | Gram Utthan Se Rashtra Utthan, launched at Thirana, Panipat |
| Security | Drone flying banned for two days in Kurukshetra |
Security and arrangements
The Kurukshetra district administration has banned drone operations for two days and assigned officials from several departments to handle security, traffic, protocol and sanitation. Deputy Commissioner Vishram Kumar Meena said the administration had completed preparations for the visit and called it a matter of pride for the district. He added that Haryana has progressed across every development sector over the past 60 years and is now counted among the country's leading states.
Residents and visitors in Kurukshetra and around the Panipat venue should expect traffic regulation and checks near the event sites through the day.
Sixty years of Haryana
Haryana was created under the Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966, which split the old Punjab state on linguistic lines, with the Hindi-speaking areas forming the new state. Chandigarh became a Union Territory and the shared capital of both states, an arrangement that continues today.
In the decades since, Haryana became one of the engines of the Green Revolution, a major contributor to the central grain pool, and later a hub for automobiles and services around Gurugram and Faridabad. It is also known as a powerhouse of Indian sport, sending a large share of the country's Olympic and Commonwealth medal winners in wrestling, boxing and athletics.
Why the jubilee matters
Anniversaries like this are about more than ceremony. The 2047 goals exhibition at Kurukshetra and the new rural programme signal where the state and the Centre want to focus next: villages, jobs and social issues such as drug abuse, which has been a concern across north India. For Haryana's young population, much of the conversation is about how the next 25 years can bring the kind of growth Gurugram has seen to the rest of the state.
What happens next
The Ratnavali festival continues at Kurukshetra University until November 4, with daily cultural programmes open to visitors. Details of how Gram Utthan Se Rashtra Utthan will roll out to other villages are expected after its launch today.
Comments (0)