New Delhi: The 75th Indian Independence Day is just around the corner and the nation is gearing up to celebrate the most significant milestone in the country’s history. Independence Day marks the day when India became free from the oppressive British rule, and also a reminder of the countless sacrifices of our freedom fighters.
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. 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.”
Here are some interesting facts about the Indian national flag, that everyone should know about
- Indian National Flag was designed by Pingali Venkayya who was a freedom fighter from Andhra Pradesh.
- The Indian flag was adopted on July 22, 1947, just before India received independence from Britain on August 15, 1947
- 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.
- The National Flag of India, by law, is to be made of khadi, a special type of hand-spun cloth of cotton or silk made popular by Mahatma Gandhi.
- The original cloth flag can be made by only one place called the Karnataka Khadi Gramodyoga Samyukta Sangha or KKGSS. They are the only licensed manufacturer and supplier of the Indian National Flag.
- 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)
- The middle white stripe in the national flag carries the design of an Ashoka Chakra in navy blue colour with 24 equally spaced spokes
- Bhikaji Rustom Cama was the first Indian who raised the flag on foreign soil
- Tenzing Norgay hoisted the Indian national flag on Mount Everest for the first time on 29 May 1953.
- 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 amended the flag code and gave rights to all citizens to hoist the flag any time as per the flag code
- As per the flag code, the flag must be hoisted in the day time and there should be no flag or any other symbolic representation above it.
- The Indian flag must never be put on the ground and must never be placed upside down
- When a foreign dignitary travels in a car provided by the government, the flag should be flown on the right side of the car while the flag of the foreign country should be flown on the left side.
