73rd Independence Day 2019: Significance and meaning of colours of National Flag; Tricolour embodies India's secular culture

73rd Independence Day 2019 | Every free country has a national flag. Mahatma Gandhi said, “A flag is a necessity for all nations. Millions have died for it. It is no doubt a kind of idolatry which would be a sin to destroy. For, a flag represents an ideal.” The rectangular-shaped National Flag or the Tricolour reflects the idea of secularism that India was built upon. Our National Flag is based on the Swaraj flag —  flag of the Indian National Congress which was designed by Pingali Venkayya. It was first hoisted in 1923. Design of the National Flag: By law, the flag is to be made of ‘khadi’, special type of hand-spun cloth or silk and the Bureau of Indian Standards is responsible for the manufacturing and designing process of the flag. Khadi Development and Village Industries Commission holds the right to manufacture the flag. And, since 2009, Karnataka Khadi Gramodyoga Samyukta Sangha has been the sole manufacturer of the Indian flag. Colours of the National Flag: [caption id=“attachment_7162831” align=“alignleft” width=“381”] Indian National Flag. News18.[/caption] The National Flag is designed horizontally and consists of three colours — saffron, white and green — and a chakra or a wheel in the centre. The National Flag was adopted on 22 July, 1947 in the wake of India’s independence from the British rule. What do the colours signify? Saffron: It is the topmost band on the flag and it represents the country’s strength, courage and selflessness. White: The middle band is white with a navy blue Dharma Chakra indicating peace and truth. It also signifies cleanliness and knowledge. Green: The third band signifies fertility, growth and auspiciousness of India’s land. Apart from being a symbol of unity, the National Flag also reflects faiths and beliefs of religions like, Buddhism, Jainism, Hinduism, Islam and Sikhism, in India. The Dharma Chakra: The Dharma Chakra, based on the Asoka Chakra, has 24 spokes in navy blue colour originating from the center. It symbolises Hindu and Buddhist philosophies and represents ideas of righteousness, justice and forwardness. It also heralds progress and implies that life is constant motion and death is stagnation. Significance of our National Flag: The tricolor flag also known as ‘Tiranga’ was adopted by the Constituent Assembly of India on 22 July, 1947 - 24 days prior to the formal declaration of Independence. It continues to be reminiscent of our freedom struggle and our efforts to build a country on our own philosophy. The National Flag is the banner that imparts a nation its own unique identity, proclaims to world of its sovereignty, and indicates the principles on which lies the country’s foundation. ALSO READ: 73rd Independence Day 2019: Where to purchase tickets to attend celebrations at Red Fort, listen to Narendra Modi's address in person ALSO READ: 73rd Independence Day 2019: President Kovind to address nation on All India Radio, Doordarshan at 7 pm today; extremely tight security in Delhi