Independence Day celebrations will be marked by the unfurling of the national flag at the Red Fort in Delhi and across the country.
Indian flag is important for the people of India. It has a place of pride in the hearts of Indian people. Traditionally, the Indian national flag was made exclusively from khadi, a hand-spun and handwoven fabric closely associated with Mahatma Gandhi and India's freedom movement. Following amendments to the Flag Code of India in 2022, the flag may now also be manufactured from machine-made fabrics such as cotton, polyester, wool, silk, or khadi.
It is also called Tricolor thanks to the three colours that adorn it.
Importance and meaning of Indian Flag
India's national flag is a symbol of the unity of India which is a pluralist country. It was officially adopted in its present form during a meeting of the Constituent Assembly held on 22 July 1947. The flag was designed by Pingali Venkayya.
The Indian flag is a rectangular and horizontal flag. It features three equal bands of deep saffron, white and green. The bands are horizontal. The colour saffron stands for courage and sacrifice; white symbolizes truth, peace and purity and the green stands for confidence and progress.
Centred in the middle of the white, the navy-blue Ashoka Chakra, with 24 spokes, is adapted from the Lion Capital of Ashoka at Sarnath near Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh.
Sarnath is the place where the Buddha delivered his first sermon after he got enlightenment. The Lion Capital was erected during the reign of Emperor Ashoka in the 3rd century BCE.
The diameter of the wheel, which has 24 spokes, is equal to the width of the white band.
The flag's width-to-length ratio is 2 to 3.
Evolution of Indian Flag
Since its first inception, Indian national flag has undergone several changes. French Revolution and its slogan of Liberty, Equality and Fraternity had profound impact on Indian nationalism. When the great Indian reformer, Raja Ram Mohan Roy, was going to England in 1831 he saw the flag of France waving on a French ship. The flag of France had three colours. The Sepoy mutiny in 1857, also known as the First War of Indian Independence, sowed the seeds of freedom in India.
When the struggle for freedom gained momentum in the 20th century, the need for a national flag was felt.
It was on 7 August 1906 that in a rally organized to protest the division of Bengal province the tricolor flag was unfurled. The flag underwent changes with the passage of time.
When the British decided to leave India, the national flag was uppermost in the minds of the Indian leaders.
A flag committee headed by Dr Rajendra Prasad, who later became the first President of the Indian Republic, was formed. It was decided that the flag of the Indian National Congress, which spearheaded the struggle for freedom from the British rule, should be accepted as the national flag with some changes. The navy blue wheel, which is a representation of the Ashoka Chakra at Sarnath near Varanasi, was placed at the center of the flag. Indian National Flag was officially adopted in its present form during a meeting of the Constituent Assembly held on 22 July 1947.
Resemblance
The Indian flag bears some resemblance to the national flag of Niger, as both feature three horizontal bands of orange (or saffron), white, and green. However, the Indian flag has a navy blue Ashoka Chakra at its centre, while the flag of Niger features an orange disc in the middle of the white band.
Deus caritas est!
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