Indian Flags and Emblems

Indian Flags and Emblem

My tribute to

Years of Independence

India Map

Map of India

Indian National Flag

The Indian Flag has three strips of equal width, the top being saffron (kesari), followed by white and then green at the bottom. In the centre of the white band is a navy blue wheel with 24 spokes (Dharma Chakra). Its design is that of the wheel of law of Ashoka's Sarnath Lion Capital which has been adopted as India's National Emblem. Ratio of the width of the flag to its length is two to three.

The saffron strip signifies courage, sacrifice and the spirit and renunciation. The white strip signifies purity and truth. The green strip signifies faith and fertility.

The Constituent Assembly adopted the design of the National Flag on 22 July 1947.

Indian National Emblem

The Indian National Emblem has been adopted from the Lion Capital of Ashoka at Sarnath. It consists of four lions, standing back to back, mounted on an abacus with a frieze carrying culptures in high relief of an elephant, a galloping horse, a bull and a lion separated by intervening wheels over a bell-shaped lotus. Carved out of a single block of polished sandstone, the capital is crowned by the Wheel of the Law (Dharma Chakra). This same Chakra can be found on the Indian National Flag.

The Government of lndia adopted the Lion Capital as the National Emblem on 26 January 1950. Only three lions are visible, the fourth being hidden from view being behind the lion which faces the viewer. The wheel appears in relief in the centre of the abacus with a bull on right and a horse on left and the outlines of other wheels on extreme right and left. The bell-shaped lotus has heen omitted.

The words 'Satyameva Jayate' from Mundaka Upanishad, meaning 'Truth Alone Triumphs', are inscribed below the abacus in the Devanagari script.

Indian National Song - Vande Mataram

The song Vande Mataram was composed by Bankimchandra Chatterji, is a source of inspiration. The following is the text of its first stanza:

Vande Mataram! Sujalam, suphalam, malayaja shitalam, Shasyashyamalam, Mataram! Shubhrajyotsna pulakitayaminim, Phullakusumita drumadala shobinim, Suhasinim sumadhura bhashinim, Sukhadam varadam, Mataram!

English translation of the stanza rendered by Sri Aurobindo in prose is:

I bow to thee, mother, richly-watered, richly-fruited, cool with the winds of the south, dark with the crops of the harvests, the Mother! Her nights rejoicing in the glory of the moonlight, her lands clothed beautifully with her trees in flowering bloom, sweet of laughter, sweet of speech, the Mother, giver of boons, giver of bliss.

Other Details
National Animal : Tiger
National Anthem : Jana Gana Mana
National Bird : Peacock