The Story of our National Flag
Saturday, August 12, 2006
Hello friends.
Our independence day is just two days ahead. This is the day when we salute our National Flag with utlost pride. So just wanted to share the story of birth and evolution of Indian National Flag.
The first national flag was hoisted by Parsee Bagan Square (Green Park), Calcutta on 1st August, 1906. It had three colours- Red, yellow and green stripes. The stripe on top had eight Lotus flowers. Bande Matram was written in Devnagri script on the yellow strip in bright blue.
The second national flag was hoisted in 107 in Paris by Madame Cama and her group of revolutionaries in exile. It had only one lotus on top strip, and seven stars representing Saptarishis.
The third national flag was hoisted during the Homerule movement in 1917. Lokmanya Tilak and Annie Besant hoisted it. It was a very simpler version and had a white crescent and a star at one end.
The fourth version, "Tricolour" came after the arrival of Gandhiji on the political scene in 1920. An AICC Session was held in Bezawada (Now Vijaywada) in 1921, from 31st March to 1st April. The session under Gandhiji's leadership had witnessed the emergence of the Tricolour flag. Shri Pingali Venkayya presented Gandhiji a flag which had only two colours, red and green. Gandhiji approved it and was hoisted at the session. Later Gandhiji suggested addition of white strip. At the sugeestion of Sri Hansraj of Jalandhar, Charkha was added.
The final design of national flag was adopted by the Constituent Assembly of India on 22 July 1947. This final design was hoisted on 15th August, 1947.
