Uttarakhand Foundation Day (9 November): How the Hill State Was Born
Also called Uttarakhand Diwas · Uttarakhand Sthapna Diwas · उत्तराखंड स्थापना दिवस
Uttarakhand Foundation Day is celebrated every year on 9 November. On that day in 2000, the hill districts of Uttar Pradesh became a new state, Uttaranchal, India's 27th. It was renamed Uttarakhand on 1 January 2007. In 2026 the state marks 26 years.
| Date | 9 November every year |
|---|---|
| Formed | 9 November 2000 (27th state) |
| First name | Uttaranchal |
| Renamed | Uttarakhand, from 1 January 2007 |
| First Chief Minister | Nityanand Swami |
| Capital | Dehradun; summer capital Gairsain (Bhararisain) |
| Districts | 13 (Garhwal 7, Kumaon 6) |
On the night of 8 November 2000, people in Dehradun, Nainital, Almora and hundreds of hill villages stayed up to see the clock strike twelve. When it did, the hill districts of Uttar Pradesh became a new state of their own: Uttaranchal, India's 27th state, renamed Uttarakhand a few years later.
Every year since then, 9 November has been celebrated as Uttarakhand Foundation Day, or Uttarakhand Diwas. Behind it lies a struggle that took decades and cost lives.
When is Uttarakhand Foundation Day?
Uttarakhand Foundation Day is celebrated every year on 9 November, the day the state was formed in 2000. In 2026 it falls on a Monday and marks 26 years of statehood. The state government usually declares a public holiday and holds official events in Dehradun, with cultural programmes in district towns.
Why did the hills want a separate state?
Because people in the hills felt that decisions made far away in Lucknow did not fit the needs of mountain villages. Roads, schools, hospitals and jobs were slow to reach Garhwal and Kumaon, and young people were leaving in large numbers for the plains. Many felt that the region's language, culture and way of life, built around steep fields, forests and rivers, needed a government of its own.
The idea was old, but it took organised shape when the Uttarakhand Kranti Dal was founded in Mussoorie on 24 July 1979. In 1992 the leader Indramani Badoni, often called the 'Gandhi of Uttarakhand', symbolically declared Gairsain the capital of the hill state that did not yet exist.
What happened in 1994?
1994 was the year the movement turned into a mass uprising, and the year it lost its first martyrs. Protests against a new reservation policy grew into a demand for statehood across the hills, led by students, women and ex-servicemen.
- 1 September 1994, Khatima: police opened fire on a rally in Khatima (Udham Singh Nagar), killing several protesters.
- 2 September 1994, Mussoorie: police fired on protesters at Jhulaghar in Mussoorie; seven people died, including a police officer.
- 1-2 October 1994, Rampur Tiraha: activists travelling to a rally in Delhi were stopped near Muzaffarnagar, where police fired on them and many women were assaulted. It remains the movement's darkest memory.
Memorials to the martyrs stand in Khatima, Mussoorie and at Rampur Tiraha, and their names are read out at Foundation Day events every year.
How was the state finally formed?
Parliament passed the Uttar Pradesh Reorganisation Act in August 2000, and the new state came into being on 9 November 2000. It was named Uttaranchal, with Dehradun as its temporary capital and Nityanand Swami as its first Chief Minister.
Many in the movement had always called their land Uttarakhand, the old name found in the Puranas. The name was changed officially, and the state has been Uttarakhand since 1 January 2007. In 2020, Gairsain (Bhararisain) was declared the state's summer capital.
Uttarakhand quick facts
- Formed: 9 November 2000 (27th state of India)
- Capital: Dehradun (winter), Gairsain/Bhararisain (summer)
- Regions: Garhwal and Kumaon
- Districts: 13 (7 in Garhwal, 6 in Kumaon). See our guide to the districts of Uttarakhand.
- High Court: Nainital
- State animal: Alpine musk deer · State bird: Himalayan monal · State flower: Brahma Kamal · State tree: Burans (rhododendron)
- Known as: Devbhoomi, the Land of the Gods, home of the Char Dham
How is Foundation Day celebrated?
With official events in Dehradun, cultural programmes in every district, and tributes to the martyrs of the movement. Schools hold competitions and folk performances, government buildings are lit up, and many towns host fairs with Garhwali and Kumaoni music, dance and food.
If you are travelling in early November, it is a good time to see folk dances like chholiya and barada nati, and to taste hill food like kafuli, phaanu and bal mithai at local stalls. A couple of weeks later, villages celebrate Igas Bagwal, the hills' own Diwali.
Check the Uttarakhand government's official announcements for this year's events and holiday notice.
Read our guideDehradun Travel Guide 2026: FRI, Robber's Cave, Sahastradhara & MoreOur full guideOpen guide ›
Read our guideMussoorie Travel Guide 2026: Mall Road, Landour, Viewpoints & WaterfallsOur full guideOpen guide ›Uttarakhand Foundation Day (9 November): How the Hill State Was Born: FAQs
When is Uttarakhand Foundation Day?
Every year on 9 November, the day the state was formed in 2000.
How many years old is Uttarakhand in 2026?
26 years. The state was formed on 9 November 2000.
What was Uttarakhand called before?
Uttaranchal. The name was changed to Uttarakhand from 1 January 2007.
Who was the first Chief Minister of Uttarakhand?
Nityanand Swami.
What is the capital of Uttarakhand?
Dehradun. Gairsain (Bhararisain) was declared the summer capital in 2020.
Why is the Uttarakhand movement remembered on Foundation Day?
Because protesters were killed in police firings at Khatima, Mussoorie and Rampur Tiraha in 1994, during the struggle for a separate hill state.
