India Flag: Meaning, Colors, History & Download

India flag

India’s Tiranga—saffron, white (with navy‑blue 24‑spoke Ashoka Chakra), and green—was adopted on 22 July 1947. Saffron signifies courage and selfless service; white truth and peace; green faith and prosperity; the Chakra represents law, motion, and continuous progress. Ratios are 2:3 with strict standards for the Chakra and colours. The design evolved from Congress banners and Pingali Venkayya’s proposals; the charkha was replaced by the Ashoka Chakra at independence. Protocol and the Flag Code govern precedence, half‑masting, and dignified retirement.

India’s national flag—the Tiranga—condenses the subcontinent’s long freedom struggle and its commitment to a plural, democratic republic into a rigorous geometry of colour and symbol.

Pre‑Independence Experiments Under the British Raj, the Union Jack and Star of India banners prevailed, while princely states retained their own symbols. From the 1900s, nationalist leaders and artists explored unifying flags: Sister Nivedita’s early designs; the 1917 Home Rule banner with red‑green stripes and the Union Jack canton; and regional variations that circulated at protests and meetings across the subcontinent.

Pingali Venkayya and the Congress Tricolour In 1921, Pingali Venkayya proposed a two‑colour standard with the spinning wheel (charkha), a symbol of self‑reliance (swadeshi) promoted by Gandhi. Debate over communal associations of colours led the Indian National Congress, in 1931, to adopt a saffron‑white‑green tricolour with the charkha—explicitly redefining the palette as civic virtues rather than religious identities: courage and sacrifice (saffron), truth and peace (white), and faith and prosperity (green).

Constituent Assembly Adoption (22 July 1947) As independence approached, a committee of the Constituent Assembly retained the tricolour but replaced the charkha with the Ashoka Chakra, a 24‑spoke wheel from the Lion Capital at Sarnath, representing dharma (righteous law), progress, and continuity with India’s ancient moral philosophy. The flag’s aspect ratio is 2:3. The Chakra is centered in the white band and rendered in a specified navy blue with precise spoke geometry.

Symbolism

and Civic Meaning Saffron evokes service, renunciation, and courage; white, truth and peaceful conduct; green, growth, faith, and environmental vitality; the Chakra signifies motion and just law. Together they articulate a non‑sectarian, constitutional identity for a diverse republic.

Standards and Protocol The Flag Code of India and Bureau of Indian Standards specify construction, colour shades, and display etiquette: precedence rules; brisk raising at sunrise and lowering at sunset; half‑masting by order in mourning; and dignified disposal of unserviceable flags. Liberalisation since 2002 expanded citizen display while preserving respect provisions.

Continuity

in Public Life Unchanged since adoption, the Tiranga anchors state ceremonies (Republic Day, Independence Day), education, and international representation. Its disciplined geometry and layered symbolism have made it a global icon of India’s independence, democracy, and pluralism.

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Source images served via FlagCDN. National flags are generally public domain; verify emblem/coat‑of‑arms usage in your jurisdiction.

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