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1. National Flag
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The National Flag is a horizontal tricolour of deep saffron (kesaria) at the top,
white in the middle and dark green at the bottom in equal proportion. The ratio
of width of the flag to its length is two to three. In the centre of the white band
is a navy-blue wheel which represents the chakra. Its design is that of the wheel
which appears on the abacus of the Sarnath Lion Capital of Ashoka. Its diameter
approximates to the width of the white band and it has 24 spokes. The design of
the National Flag was adopted by the Constituent Assembly of India on 22 July 1947.
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Apart from non-statutory instructions issued by the Government from time to time,
display of the National Flag is governed by the provisions of the Emblems and Names
(Prevention of Improper Use) Act, 1950 (No. 12 of 1950) and the Prevention of Insults
to National Honour Act, 1971 (No. 69 of 1971). The Flag Code of India, 2002 is an
attempt to bring together all such laws, conventions, practices and instructions
for the guidance and benefit of all concerned.
The Flag Code of India, 2002, took effect from 26 January 2002 and superseded the
‘Flag Code—Indias' as it existed. As per the provisions of the Flag Code of India,
2002, there are no restriction on the display of the National Flag by members of
general public, private organisations, educational institutions, etc., except to
the extent provided in the Emblems and Names (Prevention of Improper Use) Act, 1950
and the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971 and any other law enacted
on the subject.
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2. State Emblem
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The state emblem is an adaptation from the Sarnath Lion Capital of Ashoka. In the
original, there are four lions, standing back to back, mounted on an abacus with
a frieze carrying sculptures in high relief of an elephant, a galloping horse, a
bull and a lion separated by intervening wheels over a bell-shaped lotus. Carved
out of a single block of polished sandstone, the Capital is crowned by the Wheel
of the Law (Dharma Chakra) .
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In the state emblem, adopted by the Government of India on 26 January 1950, only
three lions are visible, the fourth being hidden from view. The wheel appears in
relief in the centre of the abacus with a bull on right and a horse on left and
the outlines of other wheels on extreme right and left. The bell-shaped lotus has
been omitted. The words Satyameva Jayate from Mundaka Upanishad
, meaning 'Truth Alone Triumphs', are inscribed below the abacus in Devanagari
script.
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The song Jana-gana-mana, composed originally in Bengali by Rabindranath
Tagore, was adopted in its Hindi version by the Constituent Assembly as the National
Anthem of India on 24 January 1950. It was first sung on 27 December 1911 at the
Calcutta Session of the Indian National Congress. The complete song consists of
five stanzas. The first stanza contains the full version of the National Anthem:
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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!
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Playing time of the full version of the national anthem is approximately 52 seconds.
A short version consisting of the first and last lines of the stanza (playing time
approximately 20 seconds) is also played on certain occasions. The following is
Tagore's English rendering of the anthem:
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Thou art the ruler of the minds of all people,
dispenser of India 's destiny.
Thy name rouses the hearts of Punjab, Sind,
Gujarat and Maratha,
Of the Dravida and Orissa and Bengal;
It echoes in the hills of the Vindhyas and Himalayas,
mingles in the music of Jamuna and Ganges and is
chanted by the waves of the Indian Sea .
They pray for thy blessings and sing thy praise.
The saving of all people waits in thy hand,
thou dispenser of India 's destiny.
Victory, victory, victory to thee.
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4. National Tree
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Indian fig tree, Ficus bengalensis, whose branches root themselves like new trees
over a large area. The roots then give rise to more trunks and branches. Because
of this characteristic and its longevity, this tree is considered immortal and is
an integral part of the myths and legends of India . Even today, the banyan tree
is the focal point of village life and the village council meets under the shade
of this tree.
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5. National Song
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The song Vande Mataram, composed in Sanskrit by Bankimchandra Chatterji,
was a source of inspiration to the people in their struggle for freedom. It has
an equal status with Jana-gana-man a. The first political occasion when
it was sung was the 1896 session of the Indian National Congress. The following
is the text of its first stanza:
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Vande Mataram!
Sujalam, suphalam, malayaja shitalam,
Shasyashyamalam, Mataram!
Shubhrajyotsna pulakitayaminim,
Phullakusumita drumadala shobhinim,
Suhasinim sumadhura bhashinim,
Sukhadam varadam, Mataram!
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The English translation of the stanza rendered by Sri Aurobindo in prose 1 is:
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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.
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National Calendar
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The national calendar 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) news broadcast by All India Radio,
(iii) calendars issued by the Government of India and
(iv) Government communications addressed to the members of the public.
Dates of the national calendar have a permanent correspondence with dates of the
Gregorian calendar, 1 Chaitra falling on 22 March normally and on 21 March
in leap year.
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6. National Animal
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The magnificent tiger, Panthera tigris is a striped animal. It has a thick
yellow coat of fur with dark stripes. The combination of grace, strength, agility
and enormous power has earned the tiger its pride of place as the national animal
of India . Out of eight races of the species known, the Indian race, the Royal Bengal
Tiger, is found throughout the country except in the north-western region and also
in the neighbouring countries, Nepal , Bhutan and Bangladesh.To check the dwindling
population of tigers in India,
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‘Project Tiger' was launched in April 1973. So far, 27 tiger reserves have been
established in the country under this project, covering an area of 37,761 sq km.
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7. National Bird
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The Indian peacock, Pavo cristatus, the national bird of India , is a colourful,
swan-sized bird, with a fan-shaped crest of feathers, a white patch under the eye
and a long, slender neck. The male of the species is more colourful than the female,
with a glistening blue breast and neck and a spectacular bronze-green train of around
200 elongated feathers. The female is brownish, slightly smaller than the male and
lacks the train. The elaborate courtship dance of the male, fanning out the tail
and preening its feathers is a gorgeous sight.
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8. National Flower
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Lotus (Nelumbo Nucipera Gaertn) is the National Flower of India. It is
a sacred flower and occupies a unique position in the art and mythology of ancient
India and has been an auspicious symbol of Indian culture since time immemorial.
India is rich in flora. Currently available data place India in the tenth position
in the world and fourth in Asia in plant diversity. From about 70 per cent geographical
area surveyed so far, 47,000 species of plants have been described by the Botanical
Survey of India (BSI).
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9. National Fruit
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A fleshy fruit, eaten ripe or used green for pickles etc., of the tree Mangifera
indica, the mango is one of the most important and widely cultivated fruits
of the tropical world. Its juicy fruit is a rich source of Vitamins A, C and D.
In India there are over100 varieties of mangoes, in different sizes, shapes and
colours. Mangoes have been cultivated in India from time immemorial. The poet Kalidasa
sang its praises. Alexander savoured its taste, as did the Chinese pilgrim Hieun
Tsang. Mughal emperor Akbar planted 100,000 mango trees in Darbhanga, Bihar at a
place now known as Lakhi Bagh.
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