Independence Day, in India, is celebrated every year on August 15.
This day marks the end of British rule in 1947 and the establishment of a free and independent Indian nation.
Independence Day reminds us of the sacrifices made by the great leaders of our country.
It is a day to remember how the people of our great nation came together and fought for freedom with never-ending courage and determination.
While one must be patriotic every day, Independence Day nevertheless is a day to pay tribute to our fighters and our motherland.
Here are few facts one must know about Independence day:
Indian National Anthem Adopted Only in 1950
During independence, Indians did not have an official national anthem. The song Bharoto Bhagyo Bidhata composed by Rabindranath Tagore in 1911 was renamed as ‘Jan Gan Man’ and adopted by the Constituent Assembly of India as the national anthem on 24th January 1950.
Indian Flag Was First Hoisted in 1906
The Indian national flag with 3 horizontal stripes of red, yellow and green was hoisted on 7th August 1906 at Parsee Bagan Square, Kolkata. The first variant of our current national flag was designed by Pingali Venkayya in 1921.The current flag with saffron, white and green stripes with the 24-spoke Ashok Chakra was officially adopted on 22nd July 1947 and hoisted on 15th August 1947.
Our National Song ‘Vande Mataram’ Was Part of a Novel
The national song ‘Vande Mataram’ composed by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee was actually part of his novel Anandamath written in the 1880s. This song was first sung by Rabindranath Tagore in 1896. Vande Mataram was adopted as the national song on 24 January 1950.
Rabindranath Tagore Penned the National Anthem of Bangladesh
Rabindranath Tagore not just penned the Indian National Anthem but also our neighbouring country Bangladesh.
‘Amar Sonar Bangla’ was written by Rabindranath Tagore in 1905. The first 10 lines of this song were adopted as the national anthem of Bangladesh in 1971, during its liberation war.
The Indian Flag Manufactured at Only One Place in India
The Indian flag is manufactured and supplied from only one place in the country.
The Karnataka Khadi Gramodyoga Samyukta Sangha (KKGSS), in Dharwad, Karnataka, has the authority to manufacture and supply the Indian flag.
According to the Bureau of Indian Standards, the national flag is manufactured only with hand-spun and handwoven cotton khadi bunting.
Lord Mountbatten Chose August 15 as India’s Independence Day
Although the Indian Independence Act was approved on 18 July 1947, Lord Mountbatten chose August 15 as the date of India’s independence as it matches with the date of Japan’s surrendering to the Allied Forces after World War II on August 15, 1945.
Hindi is Not the National Language of India.
There is no national language of India as per the constitution, Hindi and English both are considered the official language of India.
Hindi in the Devanagari script was chosen and declared as India’s first official language in 1949.
The Maker of Indian Flag
The Indian tricolour was designed by Pingali Venkayya, a freedom fighter and a follower of Mahatma Gandhi.
What does Tricolour Represent?
The top band of saffron colour represents the strength and courage of the country, the middle band of white colour with Dharma Chakra indicates peace and truth while the last band of green colour shows fertility, growth and auspiciousness of the land.
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