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National Flag: An Overview
Every free country has its flag, indicating that the particular country is independent. The present national flag of India, known as ‘Tiranga’, was adopted on 22 July 1947 by the Constituent Assembly.Display of the national flag must be according to the Flag Code of India, 2002.Also, it is essential to make the national flag using hand-spun and hand-woven wool, cotton, khadi, or silk bunting in the specified dimensions.
National Flag: History
It was Andhra Congressman Pingali Venkayya of Masulipatnam who first proposed that India needs to have a national flag at the meeting of the Indian National Congress in the year 1921. The first Indian flag made by an Irish disciple (Sister Nivedita) of Swami Vivekananda and it came into existence between 1904 and 1906. After some time, the national flag became known as Sister Nivedita’s flag.After Sister Nivedita’s flag, many other versions of the Indian flag came into existence.
In 1947, after the independence, “Tiranga” (the current national flag) came into existence. The committee headed by Rajendra Prasad adopted the flag of the Indian National Congress as the flag of Independent India.It’s just that the ‘Charkha’ of the Indian National flag was replaced by the ‘Chakra’ in the middle, and thus, India’s National Flag came into existence.
The country’s national flag was considered as the symbol for representing India’s long struggle for freedom.
What does each colour present in the National Flag symbolize?
There are 3 colours in the Indian national flag- saffron, White, and Green, commonly known as Tiranga or tri-colour. Here mentioned is what these three colours symbolize:
- Saffron: The saffron colour in the Indian National Flag symbolizes courage and sacrifice.
- White: The white colour in the Indian National Flag symbolizes honesty, peace, and purity.
- Green: The green colour in the Indian National Flag symbolizes faith, chivalry, prosperity, life, and vibrancy.
National Anthem: An Overview
When it comes to the National Anthem of the Republic of India, it is Jana Gana Mana. It was Rabindranath Tagore who wrote the national anthem and was originally composed as Bharata Bhagya Bidhata in Bengali. On 24 January 1950, the first stanza of the song Bharoto Bhagya Bidhata was adopted as the national anthem by the Constituent Assembly of India. It takes approximately 52 seconds to recite the National Anthem formally. A shorter version of the national anthem consisting of first and last lines is also staged occasionally, and it takes about 20 seconds to recite the same.
National Anthem: History
Rabindranath Tagore was the Nobel Laureate who wrote the national anthem on December 11, 1911. The first original version of the national anthem –’ Jana Gana Mana,’ was composed in Bengali. The parent song ‘Bharoto Bhagya Bidhata’ consists of five verses and only one verse was adopted as the National Anthem. The national Anthem put forward succinctly conveys the spirit of pluralism or, better said, ‘Unity of Diversity’, which lies at the core of the cultural heritage of the country.
On 27 December 1911, the poem was first publicly recited on the second day of the Indian National Congress annual session, which was held in Calcutta. Then it was at the annual event of the Adi Brahmo Samaj in January 1912 that the poem was sung for the second time. In January 1912, the poem was published under the title Bharata Bhagya Bidhata in the official publication of the Brahmo Samaj, Tatwabodhini Patrika, the editor of which was Tagore who wrote the national anthem.
It was Subash Chandra Bose who selected the song as the national anthem of India when he was in Germany. On 11 September 1942, on the occasion of the founding meeting of the German-Indian Society, the song was played for the first time as India’s national anthem.
On 24 January 1950, the Hindi version of Jana Gana Mana was adopted as the National Anthem of India.
What is the significance of the Indian National Anthem?
Following mentioned are the significance of the Indian National Anthem:
- The National Anthem is one of the important national identity elements of the country, and it represents the history, tradition, and beliefs of India and its citizens.
- It evokes the feeling of patriotism among the people of the country and reminds them of India’s beauty, glory, and rich heritage.
- Also, Rabindranath Tagore, who wrote the national anthem, the main purpose is to create a song helping unite the citizens of India.
Conclusion
Now that India is a large, diverse country, the national identity symbols are intrinsic and unique to the country and thus represent the nation. Both the national flag and national anthem are two significant national symbols representing India’s history, independence, values, heritage, and culture. To know more about these two national identity symbols, like who wrote the national anthem, history, significance, etc., consider going through the article.
