CM Bhupendra Patel at Ekta Nagar's National Unity Day 2026
Synopsis
Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel joined Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Ekta Nagar on 31 October 2026 for Rashtriya Ekta Diwas, the annual National Unity Day programme held at the Statue of Unity on Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel's birth anniversary.
Key Takeaways
Rashtriya Ekta Diwas 2026 was observed on 31 October at Ekta Nagar, Gujarat , marking Sardar Patel's birth anniversary.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi presided over the national programme at the Statue of Unity site.
Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel attended and broadcast the event live on X.
The Statue of Unity , inaugurated in October 2018 , stands at 182 metres — the world's tallest statue.
Rashtriya Ekta Diwas has been observed annually since 2014 to honour Sardar Patel's role in integrating 562 princely states .
On the birth anniversary of the man who stitched a fractured subcontinent into one nation, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel joined Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 31 October 2026 at Ekta Nagar for the national observance of Rashtriya Ekta Diwas — National Unity Day — held in the shadow of the world's tallest statue.
CM Patel shared the live broadcast of the event on X, writing in Gujarati: 'LIVE: માનનીય વડાપ્રધાન શ્રી નરેન્દ્રભાઈ મોદીની ગરિમામયી ઉપસ્થિતિમાં એકતાનગર ખાતે રાષ્ટ્રીય એકતા દિવસ કાર્યક્રમ' — 'LIVE: National Unity Day programme at Ekta Nagar in the distinguished presence of honourable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi.' The post carries the hashtag #RashtriyaEktaDiwas2026.
Why Ekta Nagar is the centrepiece every October
Rashtriya Ekta Diwas has been observed every 31 October since 2014, when the central government designated the date to honour Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel's birth anniversary and his singular achievement: integrating 562 princely states into the Indian Union after independence. Ekta Nagar — formerly Kevadia — is the natural epicentre, home to the Statue of Unity inaugurated by Prime Minister Modi in October 2018 and standing at 182 metres, the tallest statue on earth.
Each successive year, the programme has followed a consistent format: the Prime Minister addresses the nation from the site, flanked by state leadership. Gujarat, as the host state, places its Chief Minister front and centre at the ceremony — a convergence of central ambition and state pride.
Patel's legacy, Gujarat's stage
For Gujarat, the annual observance carries a particular resonance. Sardar Patel was himself a Gujarati, and the state has leaned into that identity with the Statue of Unity becoming both a pilgrimage site and a major tourism draw. The event is as much a celebration of that legacy as it is a national civics moment — a reminder, repeated yearly, of the price and achievement of territorial unity.
In a political landscape where national integration remains a live theme, the imagery of the Prime Minister and the Gujarat Chief Minister standing together at Sardar Patel's memorial on his birth anniversary is a deliberate, recurring statement. The ceremony endures because the symbolism demands it.
Point of View
Gujarat's Chief Minister beside him — reflects a deliberate policy of anchoring national integration rhetoric to a single, powerful physical symbol. Since 2014, the BJP-led central government has used the observance to project Sardar Patel's legacy as a unifying nationalist touchstone, distinct from the Nehruvian framing that once dominated official memory. For Gujarat, hosting the event annually reinforces the state's cultural ownership of Patel's story. The ritual repetition is itself the message: integration is not a settled fact of history but an idea that must be renewed in public, year after year.
NationPress
31 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Rashtriya Ekta Diwas and when is it celebrated?
Rashtriya Ekta Diwas , or National Unity Day, is observed every 31 October to mark the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel . It was established in 2014 to honour his role in integrating India's princely states after independence.
Where is Ekta Nagar and what is the Statue of Unity?
Ekta Nagar is a township in Gujarat , formerly known as Kevadia, located near the Narmada river. It is home to the Statue of Unity , a 182-metre statue of Sardar Patel inaugurated by PM Modi in October 2018 — the tallest statue in the world.
What did CM Bhupendra Patel post about Rashtriya Ekta Diwas 2026?
CM Bhupendra Patel shared a live broadcast on X on 31 October 2026 , announcing the National Unity Day programme at Ekta Nagar in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi .
Has PM Modi attended previous Rashtriya Ekta Diwas events at Ekta Nagar?
Yes. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has consistently addressed Rashtriya Ekta Diwas programmes at the Statue of Unity site, with the format of a national address at Ekta Nagar becoming a yearly tradition since the statue's inauguration in 2018 .
Why is 31 October significant for India's national calendar?
31 October is the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel , India's first Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister, who is credited with integrating 562 princely states into the Indian Union after independence in 1947 .
