HISTORY OF THE INDIAN FLAG 1906 After Sister Nivedita's flag another flag was designed in 1906. It was a tricolor

Iindian flag, representing India's long flag with three equal strips of blue (top), struggle for freedom is a national treasure. It yellow ( middle) and red ( lower) colors. In signifies the status of India as an this flag blue strip had eight stars of slightly independent republic. The Indian National different shapes. The red strip had two Flag came into being in its present form at symbols, first one was of sun. it was near the meeting of Constitutional Assembly on hoist and the other one was contained a star 22nd July 1947. Since then it has first served and a crescent, near the fly. The yellow strip as the National Flag of Dominion of India had 'Vande Mataram' written on it in from 15 August 1947 to 26 January 1950 and D e v n a g i r i s c r i p t . thereafter, National Flag of Republic of India. The Indian National Flag was In 1906 another version of this flag came. It designed by "Pingali Venkayya". The flag was also tricolor but its colors were different. contains three equal strips of Saffron, White It had orange, yellow and green colors and and Green colors respectively. The ratio of its came to be known as 'Calcutta flag' or 'Lotus width to its length is two is to three. flag', as it had eight half opened lotuses on it.

It is believed to be designed by Sachindra A navy blue color "Chakra" known as Prasad Bose and Sukumar Mitra. It was 'Ashoka Chakra' having twenty-four unfurled on 7th August 1906 at Parsi Bagan spokes, is present in the middle of the white Square, Kolkata. It was a "boycott day" strip. According to standard set down by ISI against the partiton of Bengal and Sir (Indian Standard Institution) it should Surendranath Banerjee hoisted this flag to occupy seventy five percent of the space of mark the unity of India. the white strip.The National Flag is one of the most respectable national symbols. 1907 It is almost similar to the flag of There are strict laws regarding its 1906 with the exception of colors and the manufacturing and its hoisting. The official flower closest to hoist. This flag had three flag specifications require flag to be made up colors, blue, yellow and red and the flower of just 'Khadi'. It is a special hand spun yarn w a s l a r g e r t h a n o t h e r s . made up of cotton, silk and wool. Then came Madam Bhikaji Rustom Cama's

flag. The flag was collectively designed by Madam Bhikaji Cama, Veer Savarkar and History Shyamji Krishna Varma. The flag was unfurled by Madam Cama on 22nd of 1904 History of Indian flag dates back to August 1907 at Stuttgrat, Germany, and pre independence era. It was in 1904 that attained the status of the first Indian flag to first Indian flag came into being. It was made be hoisted at the foreign land. From this by an Irish disciple of Swami Vivekananda. event onwards it is also referred as 'Berlin Her name was Sister Nivedita and after some C o m m i t t e e f l a g ' . time this flag came to be known as Sister The flag comsisted of three colors- the Nivedita's flag. This flag contained red and topmost being green followed by golden yellow color. Red signified freedom struggle saffron in the middle and the red color at the and yellow color was a symbol of victory. It bottom. It had 'Vande Mataram' inscribed had words "Bonde Matoram" in Bengali on it. written on it. Along with it the flag contained

a figure of 'Vajra', weapon of god 'Indra', and a white lotus in the middle. The 'Vajra' is a symbol of strength and lotus depicts purity.

1931 Some people were not at all

1916 In 1916 Pingali Venkayya, a happy with the communal interpretation of writer and a geophysicst, designed a flag the flag. Keeping all this in view a new flag with the intention to bring the whole was designed which was of "Ochre" color. nation together. He met Mahatma Gandhi This color signified combined spirtit of and sought his approval. Mahatma Gandhi both the religons as saffron was the color suggested him to incorporate 'Charkha' of Hindu yogis as well as Muslim darvesh. the symbole of economic regeneration of But Sikh community also demanded India, in the flag. Pingali made flag out of separate representation in flag or the the hand spun yarn 'Khadi'. The flag had complete abandonment of religious colors. two colors and a 'Charkha' drawn across This resulted in another flag by Pingali them but Mahatma Gandhi did not Venkayya. This new flag had three colors. approve of it as he said that in red color Saffron was at the top followed by white in Hindu community finds representation and the middle and green being the lowermost. in green Muslim, but all the other The 'Charkha' was at the center of white communities of India are not represented color. This flag was passed at the meeting in this flag. of Congress Committee in 1931 and was

adopted as the official flag of the 1917 The Home Rule League formed Committee.by Bal Ganga Dhar Tilak adopted a new flag in 1917. As at that time status of 1947 When India got independence, a Dominion was being demanded for India. committee headed by Rajinder Prasad was The flag had union jack at the top, near formed to discuss the National Flag of hoist. The rest of the flag contains five red India and they decided to adopt the flag of and four blue strips. It had seven stars on Indian National Congress, with suitable it in the shape of 'Saptarishi' Constellation modifications, as the flag of India. As a which is supposed to be the sacred one for result, the flag of 1931 was adopted as the Hindus. It also had a crescent moon Indian flag but 'Charkha' in the middle and a star at the top fly end. This flag did was replaced by 'Chakra' (wheel) and not became popular in masses. hence our National Flag came into being.

Manufacturing There is a committee which 1921 As Mahatma Gandhi wanted all sets standards for the manufacturing of the the communities of India to be represented flag. It also lays out rules regarding in the flag of the nation, so a new flag was hoisting of Indian flag. This committee is designed. This flag had three colors. At the known as 'Bureaue of Indian top was white then green and at the bottom Standards(BIS)'. It specifies the cloth, dye, was red color. In this flag white symbolized color, thread count and each and every minority communities of India, green was thing about the flag. The Indian flag can for Muslims and the red one was for Hindu only be made up of ‘Khadi'. It is made up and Sikh communities. The 'Charkha' was of two types of khadi one for its main part drawn across all the bands symbolising the and the other one for the cloth which holds unification of these communities. The flag to the staff. pattern of this flag was based on the flag of Ireland, another nation which was struggling to get its independence from the rule of Britain. Although Congress Committee did not adopt it as its official flag but it was widely used as a symbol of nationality in India' freedom struggle.

a breach of code of Indian flag. Then he lodged a PIL (Public Interest Litigation)

Code of Conduct in the court now the decision of the court is pending in this regard but a temporary permission has been granted to Indian

Being a national symbol it is respected by citizens to hoist the flag on any day but in

every Indian . There are certain dos and a respectable manner.

don'ts laid down for common people regarding Indian flag

·When the National Flag is raised Some Interesting Facts the saffron color band should be at the top.

The Indian flag was hoisted on the·No flag or emblem should be highest mountain peak of the world,

placed either above the National Mount Everest on 29th May 1953.Flag or to its right.

·All other flags to be placed to the Madam Bhikaji Rustom Cama wasleft of the National Flag if they are the first person to hoist Indian flag hung in a line. on foreign soil on 22nd August 1907

in Stuttgrat, Germany.·When the National Flag is carried in a procession or parade, it shall

The Indian National Flag flew to space be on the marching right or in in 1984 when Wing Commander front of the center of the line, if Rakesh Sharma went to the space. there is a line of other flags. The flag was attached as a medallion

·Normally the National Flag should on the space suit of Rakesh Sharma.. be flown over important government buildings like the Rashtrapati Bhawan, the Parliament House, the Supreme Court of India, the High Courts, the Secretariats, the Commissioners' office etc.

·The National Flag or any imitation of it must not be used for purpose of trade, business, or profession.

·The National Flag should always be taken down in the evening at sunset.

According to flag code of India citizens of India did not had the right to hoist the Indian flag except for some important days like Republic day, Independence day and Mahatma Gandhi's birthday. A renowned industrialist Naveen Jindal challenged this in the court as when he hoisted the flag on his office building he was told not to do so as it may be taken as

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