The Flag of the India is one of the most respected symbols of the country, but the one we know today has undergone many changes to adapt to each moment of the country's history. A symbol that represents the union towards the progress of all its communities, and that today they hoist with pride regardless of caste or religion.
"It will be necessary for us, Muslim Indians, Jewish Christians, Parsis and all others for whom India is home, to recognize a common flag to live and die for." - Mahatma Gandhi
The flag of present-day India
The Indian flag is also known as tiranga which in Hindi means Tricolor. It is composed of 3 horizontal stripes of the same thickness: the upper one is saffron, the central one is white and the upper one is green. In the center of the flag over the white stripe there is a navy blue wheel named Ashoka Chakra or the wheel of justice.
The design of the ensign was made by Pingali Venkayya, who was one of the main pillars of the Indian independence movement.
The present flag was presented on 22 July 1947 during the Constituent Assembly as the National Flag of Free India.
Meaning of the flag of India: symbology
The colors
The colors of the Indian ensign are not chosen at random and each one represents an aspect of Indian society or culture.
Saffron color or kesaria symbolizes courage, sacrifice, and spirit of renunciation. White symbolizes purity and truth, while green represents faith and fertility.
For the Indian population there are more meanings attached to the colors of their flag. Representing their union tolerance and coexistence of their majority religions under the same nation. Saffron symbolizes Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism, white symbolizes Christianity and green symbolizes Islam.
The Wheel or Ashola Chakrá
In the center of the Indian flag is a navy blue wheel with 24 peaks representing the hours of the day. This symbol is known as Ashoka Chakra and has its origin in the ornaments of one of the recognized columns of Ashoka in Sarnath.
It represents justice and the continuous movement and progress of the Nation avoiding stagnation.
Materials
India's banner should be made with hand-woven and hand-spun cotton cloth (Khadi in Hindi). This fabric was popularized by Mahatma Gandhi during the independence movement.
The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) establishes the protocols for the manufacture of the flag: the fabric, the number of threads, the type of dye, the exact shade of color and other standards. It also specifies and strictly controls the correct use of the national flag.
Curiosities of the Indian banner
On January 26, 2002, 55 years after independence, the Indian flag code was modified. From that date Indian citizens can now fly the Indian flag over their homes, offices and factories on any day. Before this reform they could only do so on days of national celebration.
Its use has been extended as long as the protocols of the Flag Code are strictly followed to avoid any disrespect to its flag and nation.
History of the Indian flag
Over the years, India's banner has evolved along with the country's history to become the Tricolor we know today.
Flag evolution
1906
The flag consisted of three horizontal stripes of blue, yellow and red. In the upper stripe it had eight stars and in the lower one a sun and a crescent moon. In the central stripe the devanagari alphabet was used to write Bankim Chandra Chatterjee's poem "vande mataram" which means "I praise you Mother" and which was adopted as the national anthem of India in 1937.
A second version known as "The Calcuta Flag" was made and hoisted on August 7, 1906 in the Plaza Parsee Bagan in Calcutta as a protest against the partition of Bengal. This one had the colors orange, amaryllis and green and instead of stars had eight half-open lotus flowers representing the eight provinces of British India. It was designed by Bhikaiji Cama, Vinayak Savarkar and Shyamji Krishna Varma.
1907
Very similar to the previous flag with the difference that in the upper stripe it had only a lotus and seven stars symbolizing the Saptarishi, or the seven Sages named in the Vedas which is a sacred symbol for Hindus. It was the first Indian flag hoisted in a foreign country, at a socialist conference in Berlin. Since then it is also known as "the flag of the Berlin Committee".)
1917
The Home Rule League formed by Bal Ganga Dhar Tilak made use of a new flag. It consisted of five red and four green horizontal stripes, had seven stars representing the Saptarishi and in the upper left corner was the British Union Jack flag. There was also a white crescent and a star in the upper corner.
1921
Mahatma Gandhi wanted the same flag to represent all communities in India, which gave rise to a new flag. It consisted of 3 colors: white representing the minority communities, green representing Muslims and red representing Hindus and Sikhs. It was also added on the three colors the symbol of the spinning wheel or Charkha symbolizing the union of all communities in the progress of the country. The Congress Committee never adopted it as an official flag but over the years it has been used as a symbol of India's freedom struggle.
1931
Many citizens did not agree with the interpretation of the flag as they did not feel represented. For the new design the color red was changed to saffron as it was the color of the Hindu yogis and the Muslim dervish, Mahatma Gandhi's spinning wheel was placed in the center. The order of the colors was also changed since the previous flag was very similar to the flag of Ireland. It was a very important date for the history of the flag. This design was approved by the Congressional Committee as the tricolor national flag. This flag is the direct ancestor of the current flag. This flag was designed by Pingali Venkayya.
1947
On July 22, 1947, the Constituent Assembly adopted it as the National Flag of Free India. The colors and their meaning remained the same. Only the Dharma Charkha of Emperor Ashoka was adopted instead of the Gandhian Wheel as the emblem of the flag. The present Wheel called Dharma Chakra is the wheel of justice of the Dharama in the Lion's Capital at Sarnath. It presents the justice and progress of the country through peaceful change, it contains 24 peaks symbolizing the hours of the day. The tricolor flag of the Congress Party became the tricolor flag of Independent India.
As you have seen, The Flag of India is a badge that has changed a great deal over the years and has evolved to represent an entire country under a single symbol, regardless of its religion or origin. A symbol of unity, acceptance of diversity and progress.
Buy the flag of India online
Nowadays you can buy the flag of India from any country thanks to online stores. You can find small flags handheld, the flag in large format, even indian logo garlands.
I trust that this article about The Flag of India can be useful for you to discover the secrets and evolution of the Indian emblem.
Bibliography:
https://www.mapsofindia.com/maps/india/national-flag.htm
Photographs of the chronology of the flag:
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