15 Amazing facts about our National Flag every Indian should know
15 Amazing facts about our National Flag every Indian should know
National Flag has a very interesting history behind it. Flags have been historically important and are always hoisted on top of the most important buildings of the nations. Indian flag has a similar story but it has faced many ups and downs and was very different when it was first hoisted.
So, let’s begin some of the amazing facts about our National Flag that will blow your mind!
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First Hoisted
Indian National Flag was first hoisted in Parsee Bagan Square (Green park) in Calcutta (now known as Kolkata) in the year 1906. It had Vande matram written in the central yellow coloured panel with green and red panel on the top and bottom respectively.
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Subsequent Developments of National Flag
Second time it was hoisted in Paris by Madame Cama and her band of exiled revolutionaries in 1907. Then, in 1917 by Dr. Annie Besant and Lokmanya Tilak during the Home rule movement. In 1921 (now Vijayawada) Pingali Venkayya prepared a flag and took it to Gandhiji. It was made up of two colours-red and green-representing the two major communities i.e. Hindus and Muslims and a spinning wheel to symbolize progress of the Nation.
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Adopting Tricolour as National Flag
The year 1931 was a landmark in the history of the flag. A resolution was passed adopting a tricolor flag as our national flag. This flag, the forbear of the present one, was saffron, white and green with Mahatma Gandhi’s spinning wheel at the center.
Click next to see what relpaced Gandji’s spinning wheel
Final Changes
On July 22, 1947, the Constituent Assembly adopted it as Free India National Flag. The Dharma Charkha of Emperor Asoka was adopted in place of the spinning wheel as the emblem on the flag. India’s Second president Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan explained Askok chakra was chosen as it was representative of dharma and law.
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Designer of National Flag
The credit for designing the National Flag goes to Pingali Venkayya, an agriculturist and Indian freedom fighter. A postage stamp was issued to commemorate him in 2009. This is one great fact about National Flag to know!
Click next to see what terms refer to National Flag of India
Terms for National Flag
The national flag of India is also known by the term ‘tricolour’. In Hindi, it is called as Tirangā. These two terms always refer as the National Flag in India. This is because of the fact that National Flag is made up of three colours. The three dominant colors in the flag are saffron, white and green.
Click next to see the meaning behind the three colours
Meaning of colours of National Flag
The three colors have different representations each.
- The Saffron color represents courage and sacrifice.
- White represents truth, peace and purity.
- The Green color represents prosperity.
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Khadi
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 famous spinning wheel the symbolizes Mahatma Gandhi is used for making Khadi.
Using a material other than Khadi for National Flag is a punishable offence with maximum imprisonment of 3 years! Be careful with the flag!
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Who can make National Flag?
The right to manufacture the national flag of India is currently a monopoly and it is held by the Khadi Development and Village Industries Commission, who in turn allocates it to the regional groups. The commission is based in Hubli, Karnataka. This is a shocking fact about National Flag.
Click next to see the proportion for the National Flag
National Flag proportion
According to the Flag code of India, the Indian flag has a ratio of two by three, where the length of the flag is 1.5 times that of the width and all three stripes of the flag – saffron, white and green – should be equal in width and length. The dimension of Ashok Chakra is not specified but it should be blue in colour and should have 24 spokes.
Click next to see where is the largest Indian National Flag
Largest Indian National Flag
The largest Indian Flag is hoisted at Central Park, Connaught Place in New Delhi. The flag is 60 feet in width and 90 feet in length and is hoisted on the top of a 207 feet high mast. The flag weighs around 37 kilograms. Flag is guarded by guards and CCTV cameras. The flag is also replaced if torn or dirty.
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Tirangā in Space!
In 1971, the Indian flag, went into space on board Apollo-15. In April 1984, it flew into space as a medallion on the spacesuit worn by Cosmonaut Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma, during the Indo-Soviet joint space flight.
Click next to see the Right to hoist the National Flag
Right to hoist Tirangā
the Flag Code of India did not allow private citizens to hoist our national flag except on Republic Day or Independence Day. In 2001, this law was changed on the petition of Indian Industrialist Naveen Jindal. Now, very Indian citizen can hoist the Indian flag on any day of the year, provided they did it maintaining the dignity, respect and honor of the flag.
Thank you Mr. Jindal!
Click next to see when National Flag may hoisted down
National Mourning
National Flag is flown half-mast in case of the death of sitting President, Prime Minister, Vice President in the whole Nation. In case of Governors, CM etc it is flown at half mast in their respective states. On occasions of state, military, central para-military forces funerals, the flag shall be draped over the bier or coffin with the saffron towards the head of the bier or coffin. The flag should not be lowered into the grave or burnt in the pyre.
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Disposing National Flag
The Flag code of India says about disposing the National Flag “When the Flag is in a damaged or soiled condition, it shall not be cast aside or disrespectfully disposed of but shall be destroyed as a whole in private, preferably by burning or by any other method consistent with the dignity of the Flag.”
Disposing wrongly or disrespecting it is a punishable offence!
These are some of the amazing facts about Naional Flag that you should definitely know.