| Date | Ashad 15 (fixed annual date, June 29) |
| Duration | One-day national festival |
| Observance | National (Nepal) |
| Celebrated in | Across Nepal, especially in agricultural communities, Terai, and hill regions |
| Observing Communities | Farmers, rural communities, and all Nepali citizens |
| Type of Event | National Agricultural Festival |
| Purpose of Event | To celebrate the beginning of the rice planting season (Ropain), honor farmers and agricultural labor, recognize rice as Nepal's staple food and economic foundation, and promote awareness of agricultural importance. |
| Holiday Status | Official national holiday in Nepal (gazetted since 2004) |
| First Observed in | 2004 CE (officially declared by the Government of Nepal on December 14, 2004) |
Quick Fact: Rice is Nepal's most important crop, covering approximately 1.5 million hectares of farmland and forming the dietary staple for over 80% of the population. Ashad 15 (around June 29–30) marks the peak of the rice transplanting season (Ropain), when Nepal's paddy fields are alive with farmers transplanting seedlings, a labor-intensive practice that has defined Nepali rural life for thousands of years.
Rashtriya Dhan Diwas (National Paddy Day) is Nepal's official national festival celebrating the rice planting season, observed annually on Ashad 15 of the Nepali calendar. Declared a national holiday by the Government of Nepal, this day honors the farmers who sustain Nepal's agriculture and food security, celebrates the monsoon rains that make rice cultivation possible, and recognizes rice as the cornerstone of Nepali culture, economy, and daily life.
Rashtriya Dhan Diwas was officially declared by the Government of Nepal on December 14, 2004 (Mangsir 29, 2061 BS), designating Ashad 15 as National Paddy Day. The date was chosen because Ashad 15 coincides with the peak of the rice transplanting season (Ropain), when monsoon rains have established themselves and paddy fields across Nepal are at maximum transplanting activity. Rice cultivation has been central to Nepali civilization for thousands of years—paddy fields terraced into the steep hillsides of the Himalayas represent both an agricultural marvel and a living cultural heritage. Before the official declaration, communities had long celebrated Ashad 15 informally as the day of Dahi Chiura (curd and beaten rice), a traditional food enjoyed by farmers during the planting season. The government's declaration transformed this agricultural tradition into a formal national celebration recognizing the importance of farmers and rice cultivation to Nepal's identity and economy.
This national day is observed to:
Celebrate the beginning of the critical rice planting season (Ropain) that sustains Nepal's food security.
Honor Nepal's farmers and agricultural laborers who feed the nation through their essential work.
Recognize rice as Nepal's staple food, economic foundation, and a symbol of cultural identity.
Promote national awareness of the importance of agriculture, food security, and rural livelihoods.
This national festival is celebrated through:
Agricultural festivals, rice planting demonstrations, and community celebrations in villages across Nepal.
Farmers actively engaging in and completing rice transplanting activities in paddy fields.
Communal eating of Dahi Chiura (curd with beaten rice)—the traditional food of the rice planting season.
Community gatherings, cultural performances, and musical celebrations in agricultural settings.
Government programs, agricultural exhibitions, and official recognitions of farmers' contributions.
This national festival is significant because:
It is an official national holiday of Nepal recognizing agriculture as the foundation of national life.
It is central to Nepal's agricultural calendar, acknowledging the food security that sustains millions.
It honors the essential and often underappreciated role of farmers in sustaining society.
It represents the integration of traditional agricultural wisdom with national identity and pride.
It aligns official national celebration with the monsoon cycle and natural rhythms of the land.
Rashtriya Dhan Diwas is Nepal's heartfelt tribute to the land, the rain, and the farmers who transform both into the rice that nourishes every Nepali table. In celebrating this national day, Nepal reaffirms that its true wealth lies not only in the beauty of its mountains but in the fertile fields, the hardworking hands, and the monsoon-fed rivers that sustain the life of its people.