Subhash Chandra Bose Jayanti

Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Jayanti, or Subhas Chandra Bose's birthday, is celebrated on 23rd January every year to remember and honour Netaji's vigour as one of the greatest freedom fighters of India. This day tributes the birth of India's most celebrated revolutionary and visionary freedom fighter, who spent his entire life fighting for the independence and honour of his nation. People across India celebrate this day in unity; some states even hold a public holiday. Subhash Chandra Bose was a man of great courage and willpower; he was a true son of his motherland, a scholar, a patriot, a leader, an intellectual, a visionary, a socialist, and a warrior. His untiring efforts for the freedom of his nation earned him the most significant and most respected title of all time, Netaji.

 

Who was Subhas Chandra Bose?

Born in a well-to-do family in Cuttack, Orissa Division, Bengal Province, on 23rd January 1897, Subhas Chandra Bose was the ninth child of advocate Janakinath Bose and mother, Prabhavati Devi. Netaji was always a patriotic individual; his early life was filled with instances of nationalist revelations. One such famous example from his college life is his college, where he was expelled for participating in and performing nationalist activities.

 

Later, he studied at Fitzwilliam college at the University of Cambridge in England. Then he headed to London, cleared the Indian Civil services Exam with 4th rank, and joined the duty. Still, after hearing about the Indian nationalist movement, he soon resigned and returned to India. Then he became newspaper editor for Chittranjan Das and soon started his Swaraj newspaper. In 1923, he was selected to serve as the President of the All India Youth Congress and also the secretary of the Bengal State Congress.

 

Bose then explored Europe and wrote his first book 'The Indian Struggle. In 1938, he was elected as the President of the Indian National Congress, where he tossed the term Purn Swaraj or complete self-governance, from British rule. Next year, he won the Presidency again but resigned to form the All India Forward Bloc. He promoted the ideals of complete self-governance throughout his political career and didn't hesitate to use force and power to achieve that. In 1943, he took charge of the Indian Independence Movement in East Asia and the leadership of the Azad Hind Fauj, or the Indian National Army, which comprised the Indian POWs, soldiers, and volunteers, to establish the first provisional independent Indian Government. Subhas Chandra Bose Jayanti is celebrated to pay respect to this great leader, who envisioned an independent India.

 

How is Subhas Chandra Bose Jayanti celebrated, and where?

His birthday is celebrated across India by garlanding his statue, hoisting the Indian national flag, and organizing cultural programs in schools & colleges. Three states, including West Bengal, Tripura, and Orissa, also host a public holiday on 23rd January yearly to celebrate Subhas Chandra Bose Jayanti. Although the celebration is made throughout the country, some unique places are most visited by people on his birthday.

• Netaji Museum: The Netaji Museum in Giddapahar, Kurseong, is like a shrine to Subhas Chandra Bose. The museum belongs to his brother Sarat Chandra Bose, a lawyer and freedom fighter. This house is so exceptional because this is the house where Netaji spent seven years. It is also said that his famous Haripura sessions address was also written here. The Netaji Institute of Asian Studies reopened the place as a Netaji Museum and a study centre in Himalayan languages, culture, and society.

 

• Netaji Bhawan, Kolkata: Another such place on the list is the Netaji Bhawan in Kolkata. This place used to be where Netaji stayed in Kolkata and ran away from in disguise to Germany and later Japan. Today the house is under the Netaji Research Bureau and is used as a library, museum, and place archive of Netaji. Here you can also see the Wanderer car, which he used to escape his house arrest in 1941.

 

• INA Museum, Morang: This is where Netaji hoisted the first tricolour flag of free India for the first time in Indian history. This museum showcases the achievements and contributions of Bose in developing the INA. You can also find a giant statue of Bose near the museum. This place holds a particular spot on the list because after taking the leadership of INA, founded by Captain Mohan Singh, Bose recruited thousands of people to fight for the freedom of their motherland.

 

• Swatantra Sainani Museum: Located in the RedFort complex in Delhi, this museum is dedicated to INA heroes who were subjected to a trial of INA.

 

The idea of an Independent India would not have been possible without freedom fighters and revolutionaries like Subhas Chandra Bose. India will forever owe these brave men who took it upon themselves to give it a future. Visiting these places should be considered nothing less than a pilgrimage. If you want to see these locations to celebrate the birth anniversary or pay your respect to the nation's hero, Subhas Chandra Bose, book yourself a bus ticket from the easy and convenient redBus app or site. redBus offers excellent deals on bus ticket booking with the best bus operators in service.