The National Symbols of India

National Flag :

The National Flag of India is a Tri-colour consisting of Saffron at the top, white in the middle and green at the bottom with all the three colours in equal proposition. In the centre, there is a navy blue coloured wheel with 24 spokes which is known as the Ashoka Chakra. The credit for designing the flag is given to Pingali Venkayya. Below are the official specifications of the flag:

• The ratio of width of the flag to its length is 2:3.
• The diameter of the Ashoka Chakra should be approximately the width of the white band and should have 24 spokes
• The flag should be made of khadi (handspun cotton)

Significance of the Tri-colour and the Ashoka Chakra as described by Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan (India’s first Vice-President) in his own words:

• About Saffron: “Bhagwa or the saffron colour denotes renunciation or disinterestedness. Our leaders must be indifferent to material gains and dedicate themselves to their work”.
• About White: “The white in the centre is light, the path of truth to guide our conduct”.
• About Green: “The green shows our relation to soil, our relation to the plant life here, on which all other life depends”.
• About the Ashoka Chakra: “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. Again, 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. It also represents 24 hours in a day”.

National Bird:

The National Bird of India is a Peacock. The scientific name of the Peacock is Pavo cristatus. Peacock is actually the name given to call a male Peafowl. The Indian Peacock is known for its rich coloured feathers and has a significant reference in Indian mythology.

National Flower:

Lotus is the National Flower of India and it is considered very sacred in the Hindu religion. The scientific name of Lotus is Nelumbo nucifera.
National Tree: The Banyan Tree is officially the National Tree of India. The scientific name of Banyan is Ficus benghalensis.

National Anthem:

Nobel Prize winner Rabindranath Tagore’s written and composed song ‘Jana Gana Mana’ is the National Anthem of India. This song was written in Bengali by Tagore. Below are the lyrics of the song:
Jana-gana-mana-adhinayaka, jaya he

Bharata-bhagya-vidhata.

Punjab-Sindh-Gujarat-Maratha

Dravida-Utkala-Banga

Vindhya-Himachala-Yamuna-Ganga

Uchchala-Jaladhi-taranga.

Tava shubha name jage,

Tava shubha asisa mange,

Gahe tava jaya gatha,

Jana-gana-mangala-dayaka jaya he

Bharata-bhagya-vidhata.

Jaya he, jaya he, jaya he,

Jaya jaya jaya, jaya he!

The English translation of the song goes as below:

Thou art the ruler of the minds of all people,
dispenser of India’s destiny.
Thy name rouses the hearts of Punjab, Sindh, Gujarat, the Maratha country,
in the Dravida country, Utkala (Orissa) and Bengal;
It echoes in the hills of the Vindhyas and Himalayas,
it mingles in the rhapsodies of the pure waters Jamuna and the Ganges.
They chant only thy name,
they seek only thy blessings,
they sing only thy praise.
The saving of all people waits in thy hand,
thou dispenser of India’s destiny.
Hail, Hail, Hail to thee.

State Emblem:

The State Emblem of India is an adaptation from the Sarnath Lion Capital of Ashoka. The Sate Emblem which was adopted by the Government of India on the 26 of January 1950 has only three lions visible with the fourth one hidden from view. The base on which these lions stand has a galloping horse on the left and a bull to the right. In between the horse and the bull is a wheel which represents the Dharmachakra (Wheel of Law) or Ashoka Chakra. Below the emblem, there is an inscription which reads Satyameva Jayate in the Devanagari script. ‘Satyameva Jayate’ means Truth Alone Triumphs and this is a quote taken from the Mundaka Upanishad written in the Atharvaveda.

National Calendar:

The national Calendar of India is based on the Saka Era, with Chaitra as its first month and a normal year of 365 days was adopted from 22 March 1957 along with the Gregorian calendar for the following official purposes:

(i) Gazette of India,
(ii)Nnews broadcast by All India Radio,
(iii) Calendars issued by the Government of India and
(iv) Government communications addressed to the members of the public.

National River:

River Ganga or Ganges is the National River of India. Ganga is considered to be the most sacred river by Hindus for ages in India. According to Hindu Mythology, River Ganga is the wife of Lord Shiva along with Parvathi.

National Animal:

The Royal Bengal Tiger is the National Animal of India. The Scientific name of the Bengal Tiger is Panthera tigris.

National Song:

The song Vande Mataram which was written by Bankimchandra Chattopadhyay in Sanskrit is the National Song in India. This song was widely used during the freedom struggle and was first sung in an 1896 Indian National Congress session. Below are the lyrics of the song’s first stanza:

Vande Mataram, Vande Mataram!

Sujalam, suphalam, malayaja shitalam,

Shasyashyamalam, Mataram!

Vande Mataram!

Shubhrajyotsna pulakitayaminim,

Phullakusumita drumadala shobhinim,

Suhasinim sumadhura bhashinim,

Sukhadam varadam, Mataram!

Vande Mataram, Vande Mataram!

The English translation of the above stanza goes like this:

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.

National Fruit:

The King of Fruits – Mango (Mangifera) is the National Fruit in India. People in India wait for the Summer Season so that they can enjoy this juicy seasonal fruit each and every day! There are more than 100 varieties of the Mango in India with Alphonso (popularly called as Aapoos) being the most tastiest one. The ripe Mangoes are used for making pickles that last for many months.

National Game:

Hockey is the National Game in India but the most popular game or sport for the last few years has clearly been Cricket. Hockey found its way to become the National Game because of a Golden period between 1928 to 1956 where the Indian team had won 6 consecutive gold medals!

Random Posts