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An equestrian statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj with saffron flags

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Jayanti

Upcoming
Fri, 19 Feb 2027
in 180 days
Major festival Regional
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Jayanti 2027 is on 19 February 2027, a Friday. Maharashtra's official observance is fixed on 19 February and honours Shivaji Maharaj through memorial tributes, processions, historical and cultural programs, powadas, and events at forts associated with his life.

When it falls

The date shifts because it tracks the moon, not the Gregorian calendar.

2024 Feb 19
Mon
2025 Feb 19
Wed
2026 Feb 19
Thu
2027 Feb 19
Fri
2028 Feb 19
Sat
2029 Feb 19
Mon

Calculated for India (IST) using precise Panchang astronomy. Dates can shift by a day at locations far to the east or west.

What Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Jayanti commemorates

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Jayanti marks the birth anniversary of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, born at Shivneri Fort on 19 February 1630. He established the Maratha kingdom in the seventeenth century and remains central to Maharashtra's historical memory as a military leader, fort-builder, and administrator associated with the ideal of Swarajya.

The commemoration is civic and historical rather than a deity festival. Public programs revisit his life, leadership, military organisation, administration, and connection with Maharashtra's forts. Powada performances, lectures, plays, exhibitions, and school events turn the day into an occasion for historical education as well as collective remembrance.

Two dating traditions are encountered in Maharashtra: the official state commemoration on 19 February, and the separately computed Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Jayanti — Tithi Observance on Phalgun Krishna Tritiya. This page represents the fixed civil-date observance; the linked page lists the moving lunar date each year.

Rituals & observance

Shivaji Maharaj Jayanti is observed through memorial, educational, cultural, and heritage activities rather than one mandatory religious rite.

  • Garlanding memorials: statues, portraits, and public memorials of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj are cleaned, decorated, and offered floral tributes.
  • Processions and flags: communities organise rallies and processions with traditional dress, music, and saffron flags, subject to local civic arrangements.
  • Powada and historical storytelling: singers, speakers, and theatre groups recount episodes from Shivaji Maharaj's life through powadas, plays, lectures, and readings.
  • Programs at forts: Shivneri, Raigad, Sinhagad, and other forts associated with Maratha history host commemorative gatherings, performances, and historical interpretation.
  • Heritage and public-service activities: schools and community groups may hold exhibitions, competitions, fort-cleaning drives, or social-service programs tied to the day's civic meaning.

Regional variations

Maharashtra — statewide observance
The official 19 February commemoration is marked across the state by government bodies, schools, civic groups, and local communities through memorial tributes and cultural programs.
Shivneri and the fort tradition
Shivneri, the birthplace of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, and forts such as Raigad and Sinhagad become prominent centres for gatherings, historical performances, and heritage-focused observances.
How this date is determined

Observed on the same fixed date in the Gregorian calendar every year.

Frequently asked

When is Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Jayanti in 2027?
The official Maharashtra observance is fixed on 19 February every year. In 2027 it falls on 19 February 2027, a Friday. A separate lunar-tithi commemoration may fall on another civil date.
Whose birth anniversary does Shivaji Maharaj Jayanti mark?
It marks the birth anniversary of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, born at Shivneri Fort in 1630. He founded the Maratha kingdom and is remembered for leadership, military organisation, forts, administration, and the ideal of Swarajya.
Why is Shivaji Maharaj Jayanti observed on 19 February?
Maharashtra's official civic commemoration uses 19 February as the fixed birth-anniversary date. Government offices, public bodies, schools, and communities organise their annual programs around that civil date.
Why is another Shiv Jayanti date sometimes shown?
Some groups observe the birth tithi, Phalgun Krishna Tritiya, according to the lunar calendar. Because a tithi moves against the Gregorian calendar, that observance can fall on a different date; see the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Jayanti — Tithi Observance page for its computed yearly date.
How is Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Jayanti celebrated?
Common observances include floral tributes at statues and memorials, processions, powada performances, plays and lectures, school programs, historical exhibitions, and gatherings or heritage activities at forts associated with Shivaji Maharaj.

Plan around it

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