Flag of India

\nThe flag of India is called the Tiranga (tricolour in Hindi). It consists of three horizontal stripes of equal width: saffron at the top, white in the middle and green at the bottom. At the center is a blue chakra (wheel) having 24 spokes. The ratio of the width to the length of the flag is two to three. The color saffron symbolizes courage, the color white peace, and the color green prosperity. The charkha (spinning wheel) originally at the center stood for Gandhi's spinning wheel, symbolizing self-sufficiency. It was later replaced by the Ashoka Chakra, the "wheel of the law" found in the emblems of the 3rd century BC Mauryan emperor Ashoka. The 24 spokes of the wheel signifies 24 hours and progress every hour. The flag was designed by a freedom fighter called Pingali Venkayya and was officially adopted by India's constituent assembly on July 22, 1947. There is an elaborate code of rules governing the correct use and display of the flag.

Table of contents

1 Brief history of Indian flag 2 External Link 3 Further Reading

Brief history of Indian flag

\n(to be written) When Pingali Venkayya designed the flag, he intended that the saffron colour symbolize Hindus, the green Muslims and the intervening white peace between the two communities. Due to Mahatma Gandhi's objections that there were many other religions in India, it was decided that the green would symbolize prosperity, the white purity and the saffron courage.

External Link

\n* FOTW India Historical flags - History of the Indian flag (with pictures of earlier flags)

Further Reading

\n* Mahatma Gandhi (Edited by Louis Fischer, 1983, 2002) The Essential Gandhi : An Anthology of His Writings on His Life, Work, and Ideas (pg. 105) Vintage. ISBN 1400030501\n* Stanley A. Wolpert (1992, 1999) India (pg. 10) University of California Press ISBN 0520221729 \n* Louis Fischer (May 1989) Gandhi: His Life and Message for the World (pg. 82) New American Library; Reissue edition ISBN 0451627423 \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n