Symbolism of colours and the Ashoka Chakra in Indian National Flag by S. Radhakrishnan

The Indian National Flag is a horizontal three coloured flag of deep saffron, white and dark green colours. Ashok Chakra, a 24 spoke wheel in navy blue colour is at its center. The ratio of the flag's width to its length is two to three. The Indian national flag is made of Khadi. (Made of cotton or silk)

Dr S. Radhakrishnan (India's first Vice President) explained the symbolism of colors and the Ashoka Chakra in Indian National Flag :

• The saffron colour denotes renunciation or disinterestedness. Our leaders must be indifferent to material gains and dedicate themselves to their work.
• The white in the center is light, the path of truth to guide our conduct.
• The green shows our relation to soil, our relation to the plant life here, on which all other life depends.
• The Ashoka Chakra in the centre of the white is the wheel of the law of dharma. Truth or satya, dharma or virtue ought to be the controlling principle of those who work under this flag.
• The wheel denotes motion. There is death in stagnation. There is life in movement. India should no more resist change, it must move and go forward. The wheel represents the dynamism of a peaceful change.

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Watch out live video of Army Parade held at Mahavir Stadium of Hisar District on Independence Day Celebration.

India got independence from the British rule on 15 August 1947. India celebrates Independence Day on August 15 each year. The partition of India is carving a separate state for the Muslims, called Pakistan.

Independence Day (15 August 1947) is celebrated as a national holiday in India.

The celebrations start off with the Prime Minister hoisting the national flag at the historic Red Fort in New Delhi, India's capital and the firing of 21 gunshots in honour of the occasion. Tributes are paid to the leaders of the freedom struggle. The speech of Prime Minister is followed by march past of divisions of the Indian Armed Forces and paramilitary forces. 

The struggle for India's Independence began in 1857 with the Sepoy Mutiny in Meerut. Later, in the 20th century, the Indian National Congress and other political organizations under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi launched a countrywide independence movement.

India became a free country at midnight between August 14 and August 15, 1947. It was then that the free India's first prime minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru gave his famous "Tryst with Destiny" speech. 

On Independence Day, it was the Chief Minister who would unfurl the national flag and gave a speech at the state capital, the honours would be done by a Minister or Police Commissioner or District Magistrate at the district level, a Minister or a sub-divisional magistrate at the block level and the Sarpanch or the village head-man at the village level.

Other functions of Independence day may include sports (including rural sports), P.T. Display or display of other skills by college/school students, planting of trees, inter-school/inter-college debates, community work, launching of any important scheme of rural development, talks by selected boys/girls on the significance of August 15, cultural programmes, distribution of prizes/certificates/medals for work in the fields of national integration, small savings, forestation, or any other aspect of rural development.

Flag hoisting ceremonies and cultural programmes take place in governmental and non-governmental institutions throughout the country. Schools and colleges conduct flag hoisting ceremonies and cultural events. Major government buildings are often adorned with strings of lights

Schools and colleges hold these flag hoisting ceremonies followed by the singing of the national anthem which is then followed by holding of cultural events.

Another interesting feature of the celebrations is the kite flying events that are held all over the country. 

Jana-Gana-Mana (National Anthem) was originally composed in Bengali by Rabindranath Tagore. It was adopted in its Hindi version by the Constituent Assembly as the National Anthem of India on 24 January 1950.

The National Song of India (Vande Mataram) was composed in Sanskrit by Bankimchandra Chatterji. It was a source of inspiration to the people during their struggle for freedom.

The Indian National Flag is a horizontal three colour flag of deep saffron, white and dark green colours. Ashok Chakra, a 24 spoke wheel in navy blue colour is at its center. The saffron colour represents courage, while white as truth and purity and green represents peace and prosperity. The Ashok Chakra represents the wheel of law or righteousness. The ratio of the flag's width to its length is two to three.

National Symbols of India

• National Language : Hindi
• National Game : Hockey
• National Animal : Tiger
• National Bird : Peacock
• National Flower : Lotus
• National Fruit : Mango
• National Tree : Banyan Tree

Achievement of Ancient India

• India was the only source of diamonds until 1896.
• The Indian Ayurvedic system of medicine is the oldest medicine system in the world.
• The world's first university was established in India.
• The Indian constitution is the largest written constitution in the world, with 395 articles and 8 schedules.
• Chess, Algebra, Trignometry and Calculus are developed by India.
• The "Place Value" and "Decimal Value" systems were developed in India.
• Navigation systems were developed in India.

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