Birthday of Mahatma Gandhi; national holiday celebrating Father of the Nation

Gandhi Jayanti is observed on 2 October, the birthday of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, born in Porbandar, Gujarat, in 1869 and revered as the Father of the Nation. It is one of India's three national holidays, alongside Republic Day and Independence Day, and since 2007 the United Nations has marked it worldwide as the International Day of Non-Violence. Gandhi's weapons were satya (truth) and ahimsa (non-violence), drawn from the Bhagavad Gita, the Jain and Vaishnava traditions of his Gujarat childhood, and the teachings of many faiths; through satyagraha, the Salt March and the Quit India movement he led millions in the struggle for freedom. The day begins with prayer meetings at Raj Ghat in Delhi, where his samadhi stands, and his favourite bhajans, Raghupati Raghava Raja Ram and Vaishnava Jana To, are sung across the country. It is also the birth anniversary of Lal Bahadur Shastri, India's second Prime Minister, and is observed as Swachh Bharat Diwas, recalling Gandhi's insistence that cleanliness is next to godliness.

Gandhi Jayanti is a national commemoration. Many keep the day simple and vegetarian in Gandhi's spirit; it is a national dry day.