National Insignia of India National Insignia of India namely Flag, Anthem, Emblem, Song, Sport, Tree, Flower, Fruit, Bird and Animal. To keep length of page a little short I’ve divided it into parts, where in First part we’ll know about Flag, Anthem, Emblem, Song and Sport. And in the 2nd Part we’ll know about Bird, Animal, Fruit, Flower and tree. Insignia is the plural of Latin word, which means emblem, symbol, is a symbol or token of personal power, status or office, or of an official body of government or jurisdiction. Insignia are especially used as an emblem of a specific or general authority. Here we’ll get to know about the national Insignia of India.

India’s National Flag The Indian flag was designed as a symbol of freedom. The late Prime Minister Nehru called it a flag not only of freedom for ourselves, but a symbol of freedom to all people. The Indian flag is a horizontal tri-color in equal proportion of deep Saffron on the top symbol of strength, courage, sacrifice and the spirit of renunciation of the country, white in the middle symbol of peace, purity and truth with Dharma Chakra and dark green at the bottom symbol of fertility, faith, growth and auspiciousness of the land.

The ratio of the width to the length of the flag is two is to three. In the centre of the white band, there is a wheel in Navy Blue known as Dharma Chakra (Ashok Chakra) replaced the Gandhian spinning wheel to add historical “depth” and separate the national flag from that of the Indian National Congress. Its diameter approximates the width of the white band and it has 24 spokes. This Dharma Chakra depicted the “wheel of the law” in the Sarnath Lion Capital made by the 3rd-century BC Mauryan Emperor Ashoka. The chakra intends to show that there is life in movement and death in stagnation.

Saka Calendar is said to have begun from the vernal equinox of A.D. 79. The usage of the Calendar began from aka Era 1879, Chaitra 1, which corresponds to A.D March 22. The Saka Calendar is similar to the Gregorian calendar on the terms that even the Saka calendar has a normal year of 365 days and a leap year has 366 days. In a leap year, an intercalary day is added to the end of Chaitra month of the year. There are 12 months in Saka Calendar which are named as Vaisakha,Jyestha,Asadha,Sravana, Bhadrapada, Asvina, Kartika Margasirsa, Pausa, Magh, Phalgura,Chaitra.

National Anthem of India Jana Gana Mana is the national anthem of India. Written in Bengali, it is the first of five stanzas of an ode composed by Rabindranath Tagore, the song Jana Gana Mana was first sung on December 27, 1911 at the Calcutta session of the Indian National Congress. On January 24, 1950, the Constituent Assembly adopted the song as the National Anthem of India.The complete song consists of five stanzas. The first stanza comprises the full version of the National.

Devanagari transliteration Jana gaṇa mana adhināyaka jaya hē Bhārata bhāgya Vidhātā Pañjāba Sindhu Gujarāṭa Marāṭhā Drābiḍa Utkala Baṅga Vindhya Himācala ẏamunā Gaṅgā Ucchala jaladhi taraṅga Taba śubha nāmē jāgē Taba śubha āśisa māgē Gāhē taba jaya gāthā Jana gaṇa maṅgala dāyaka jaya hē Bhārata bhāgya bidhātā Jaya hē jaya hē jaya hē Jaya jaya jaya jaya hē

Translation to English O! Dispenser of India’s destiny, thou art the ruler of the minds of all people Thy name rouses the hearts of Punjab, Sindh, Gujarat, the Maratha country, in the Dravida country, Utkala and Bengal; It echoes in the hills of the Vindhyas and Himalayas, it mingles in the rhapsodies of the pure waters of Yamuna and the Ganges. They chant only thy name. They seek only thy auspicious blessings. They sing only the glory of thy victory. The salvation of all people waits in thy hands, O! Dispenser of India’s destiny, thou art the ruler of the minds of all people Victory to thee, Victory to thee, Victory, Victory, Victory, Victory to thee!.

India’s National Emblem The National Emblem of India is a replica of the Lion of Sarnath, near Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh. The Lion Capital was erected in the third century BC by Emperor Ashoka to mark the spot where Buddha first proclaimed his gospel of peace and emancipation to the four quarters of the universe. The National emblem is thus symbolic of contemporary India’s reaffirmation of its ancient commitment to world peace and goodwill.The four lions (one hidden from view) – symbolizing power, courage and confidence – rest on a circular abacus. The abacus is girded by four smaller animals – guardians of the four directions: the lion of the north, the elephant of the east, the horse of the south and the bull of the west. The abacus rests on a lotus in full bloom, exemplifying the fountainhead of life and creative inspiration. The motto ‘Satyameva Jayate’ inscribed below the emblem in Devanagari script means ‘truth alone triumphs’.

National Song of India Composed by Bankim Chandra, this song appears in the Bengali novel Anand Math. The English translation of Vande Mataram rendered by Shree Aurobindo, is considered to be the “official” and best. The first stanza of this song has been given the status of our national song.

Devanagari transliteration vande mātaram sujalāṃ suphalāṃ malayajaśītalām śasya śyāmalāṃ mātaram śubhra jyotsnā pulakita yāminīm phulla kusumita drumadalaśobhinīm suhāsinīṃ sumadhura bhāṣiṇīm sukhadāṃ varadāṃ mātaram

Translation to English My obeisance to Mother India! With flowing beneficial waters Filled with choicest fruits Sandal wood wafts cool Lovely mooned nights O mother! My obeisance to you! Where the bright morning light and thrilled nights Are dressed in attires wondrous flora abloom Sweet speaker of sweet languages A happy boon are you, o mother… Aha…dear mother, I salute you

India’s National Sport Hockey is the National Game of India. Unmatched excellence and incomparable virtuosity brought India a string of Olympic gold medals. The brilliant Indians brought a touch of black magic to their play and the ball juggling feats of the Indians were a sheer delight. The Golden Era of hockey in India was the period from 1928 – 1956 when India won 6 consecutive gold medals in the Olympics. During the Golden Era, India played 24 Olympic matches, won all 24, scored 178 goals (at an average of 7.43 goals per match) and conceded only 7 goals. The two other gold medals for India came in the 1964 Tokyo Olympics and the 1980 Moscow Olympics.

India’s National Bird Male bird of species P. cristatus, is a native of India, with striking plumage and upper tail converts marked with iridescent ocelli, able to expand its tail erect like fan as ostentatious display. Peacocks are related to pheasants. Found wild in India (and also domesticated in villages) they live in jungle lands near water. They were once bred for food but now hunting of peacocks is banned in India. The peahen has no plumage. These birds do not sound as beautiful as they look – they have a harsh call.

India’s National Animal Large Asiatic carnivorous feline quadruped, Panthera Tigris, maneless, of tawny yellow colour with blackish transverse stripes and white belly, proverbial for its power and its magnificence. There are very few tigers left in the world today. A decade ago the tiger population in India had dwindled to a few hundreds. The Government of India, under its Project Tiger programme, started a massive effort to preserve the tiger population. Today, thanks to Project Tiger, India’s population of tigers has considerably increased.

India’s National Tree 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.

India’s National Fruit 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. Akbar planted 100,000 mango trees in Darbhanga, known as Lakhi Bagh.

India’s National Flower The Lotus or water lily is an aquatic plant of Nymphaea with broad floating leaves and bright fragrant flowers that grow only in shallow waters. The leaves and flowers float and have long stems that contain air spaces. The big attractive flowers have many petals overlapping in a symmetrical pattern. The root functions are carried out by rhizomes that fan out horizontally through the mud below the water. Lotuses, prized for their serene beauty, are delightful to behold as their blossoms open on the surface of a pond. In India the sacred lotus is legendary and much folklore and religious mythology is woven around it.