Prithvi Jayanti

Prithvi Jayanti
Prithvi Jayanti being celebrated outside Singha Durbar in 2019
Also called	National Unity Day
Observed by	Nepal
Type	Patriotic
Significance	Commemorates the birth of King Prithvi Narayan Shah
Begins	January 11, 1956
Date	11 January
Frequency	Annual

Prithvi Jayanti (Nepali: पृथ्वी जयन्ती, lit. 'Birthday of Prithvi Narayan Shah'; also known as the Nepal Ekikaran Diwas (Nepali: नेपाल एकीकरण दिवस, lit. 'National Unification Day') or National Unity Day) is an observance annually celebrated on 11 January to commemorate the birth of King Prithvi Narayan Shah, who was the first king of unified Nepal. In the mid-18th century, he set out to unify the small kingdoms which would become present-day Nepal. During the observance, many people add a garland to statues of Shah, participate in the parades, and remember his contribution to Nepal. Prithvi Jayanti was celebrated as a public holiday from 1951 until its abolishment in 2006. However, some local governments in Gorkha District and Nuwakot District have declared Prithvi Jayanti to be a public holiday. In 2023, the government declared it as a national holiday.^[1]