Indian National Flag
Independence Day: Interesting Facts About Our National Flag And Anthem
On August 15, 2020, India will celebrate its 74th Independence Day. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hoist the national flag at Red Fort and will address the nation. The current form of the Indian national flag came into existence after a series of developments and modifications. Also known as the Tricolor or Tiranga, the flag was an integral part of the Indian freedom movement and has a reach history.
The national anthem, Jana Gana Mana, was also an important ally of the freedom fighters. Originally composed in Bengali by Ravindranath Tagore, the national anthem represents the unity of a diverse India.
Here are some interesting facts about the Indian national flag and the national anthem that students can use in their independence day speech, essay, or class quiz.
The National Flag of India is a horizontal, rectangular Tricolor of saffron, white and green with the Ashoka Chakra in the middle. It is also known as Tiranga.
However, the first version of Indian National Flag hoisted on August 7, 1906, had stripes of green, yellow, and red. It had religious symbols, eight roses, and Vande Mataram inscribed in it. The second version of the Indian flag was hoisted by Madam Bhikaji Cama at the Socialist International Summit in Stuttgart, Germany. A third version, with red and green stripes with the Union Jack -- the national flag of the United Kingdom -- on the top left and a crescent on the top right and seven stars in form of the Saptrishi constellation was used by Bal Gangadhar Tilak in 1917.
Another two versions of the Indian flag was designed in 1921. The first had a white strip at the top representing the religious minorities, green strip in the middle representing Muslims, and red strip at the bottom representing Hindus. In the center of the flag was a blue Spinning Wheel. This was according to the dream of Mahatma Gandhi. Another version of the flag, which was adopted by the Congress committee, had saffron color at the top, white in the middle, and green at the bottom. In the middle of the white strip was a blue spinning wheel.
On August 15, 1947, the first Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru, upraised the national flag at the Lahori Gate of the Red Fort in Delhi.
For the first time, the Indian National flag will be hoisted at Times Square, New York, on August 15, 2020.
The National Anthem of India, Jana Gana Mana was originally written in Bengali as Bharoto Bhagyo Bidhata. It was first publicly sung on December 27, 1911, at the Calcutta session of the Indian National Congress.
Apart from the national anthem of India, Rabindranath Tagore also wrote Amar Sonar Bangla, the national anthem of Bangladesh.
Subhas Chandra Bose, during the meeting of the German-Indian Society on September 11, 1942, first used the term “National Anthem” for Jana Gana Mana. Before officially becoming the national anthem of India in 1950, Jana Gana Mana was used in the 1945 film Hamrahi.
Happy Independence Day 2020: Real History Of Indian Flag And Significance Of Its Tricolour
Do you know how the tricolor or tiranga, as the national banner of India is prevalently called, appeared before it was first raised at Red Fort on Independence Day? Do you truly believe that the saffron, green and white on our banner is separated based on religions?
Before we spill the beans and shun some myths, it is important to know the real history behind the evolution of our national flag and when and how was it designed to look like it does today. Asserting the importance of India having its own flag, Mahatma Gandhi had stated, “A flag is a necessity for all nations. Millions have died for it.It is no uncertainty a sort of excessive admiration which would be just plain wrong to pulverize..”
The current national flag of India is a horizontal tricolor of deep saffron (kesari) at the top, white in the middle and dark green at the bottom in equal proportion. The white portion has a navy blue wheel or the chakra with 24 spokes and is identical of a similar design which appears on the abacus of the Sarnath Lion Capital of Ashoka.
While the ratio of width of the flag to its length is two to three, the wheel is at the centre and the diameter of the chakra approximates to the width of the white band. However, the Indian flag reached its current stage after many revisions.
History of the Indian Tricolour Flag
© Provided by Hindustan Times
The first unofficial flag of India was 1906 hoisted on August 7, 1906, in the Parsee Bagan Square (Green Park) of Kolkata. It was also a tricolour but with three horizontal strips of red, yellow and green. While the yellow strip had the words Vande Mataram in Devnagiri script, the green panel had 8 half-opened lotus flowers.
© Provided by Hindustan TimesAfter another revision in 1907, 1917 and 1921, 1931 finally witnessed a resolution being passed to adopt the tricolour which had changed from red to saffron, yellow to white and green was the only colour retained. Pingali Vankayya redesigned the previous flag to depict the ethos of the nation and not have any religious forbearance.
Instead, Saffron signified strength, White stood for truth and Green depicted fertility. The words ‘Vande Mataram’ on the first unofficial flag were replaced with Gandhi ji’s charkha or spinning wheel at the centre. This flag adopted in 1931 was also the battle ensign of the Indian National Army.
© Provided by Hindustan Times
However, another revision took place on July 22, 1947 when the Constituent Assembly adopted the Tiranga with Ashok’s chakra in the centre as Free India National Flag. This was a few days before India gained independence from British rule after 200 years of slavery.
The flag adopted in 1947 was the same as the one approved in 1931 except that the Dharma Charkha of Emperor Asoka replaced Mahatma Gandhi’s spinning wheel to become the emblem on the flag. This is how our tricolour flag of Independent India came into being and after the advent of Independence, the colours and their significance remained the same without bearing any communal significance.
Independence Day 2020: 10 Interesting Facts About Indian Tricolour Flag You Should Know
The 74th Indian Independence Day is just around the corner and the nation is gearing up to celebrate the day. Independence Day marks the day when India became free from British rule, and also a reminder of the countless sacrifices of our freedom fighters who fought to liberate the country.
Greetings on 74th Independence Day
The day is celebrated every year on August 15 with much pomp and fervour and the Prime Minister unfurls the ‘tiranga’ or the tricolour on the Red Fort. However this year, festivities will be a subdued affair in the wake of coronavirus. Also Read - Independence Day 2020: 'Make in India' Anti-drone System Deployed Near Red Fort During PM Modi's Address
The National Flag of India is the pride of all the citizens of the country and represents our hopes and aspirations. The late Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru called it “a flag not only of freedom for ourselves but a symbol of freedom to all people.” Also Read - Speaking About Sanitary Napkins From Red Fort: Why Twitter is All Praises For PM Modi
Here are some interesting facts about the Tiranga:
1. Indian National Flag was designed by Pingali Venkayya who was a freedom fighter from Andhra Pradesh
2. The Indian flag was adopted on July 22, 1947, just before India received independence from Britain on August 15, 1947
3. The first Indian flag was hoisted on August 7, 1906, at Parsi Bagan Square in Calcutta. It consisted of three horizontal stripes of green, yellow and red.
4. The saffron colour represents courage and sacrifice while white colour represents truth, peace and purity. Green colour of the flag denotes prosperity while the Ashok Chakra represents the Laws of Dharma (righteousness)
5.The middle white stripe in the national flag carries the design of an Ashoka Chakra in navy blue colour with 24 equally spaced spokes
6.The National Flag of India, by law, is to be made of khadi, an uncommon sort of hand-spun material of cotton or silk made popular by Mahatma Gandhi.
7. The option to produce the banner is held by the Khadi Development and Village Industries Commission, who thusly dispenses it to the territorial gatherings.
8 Tenzing Norgay hoisted the Indian national flag on Mount Everest for the first time on 29 May 1953.
9. Before 2002, normal citizens of India were not allowed to hoist the National Flag except on Independence Day and Republic Day. In 2002, Supreme Court of India corrected the flag code and offered rights to all residents to hoist the flag whenever according to the flag code.
10. According to the flag code, the flag must be lifted in the day time and there ought to be no flag or some other emblematic portrayal above it.
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