National_symbols_of_India
The Government of India has designated official national symbols that represent the Republic of India.
More information Symbol, Name ...
| Symbol | Name | Image | Adopted | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Official name | Republic of India (Bhārat Gaṇarājya)[1] |  |
26 January 1950[2] | The Constitution of India uses the official names of India and Bharat.[3]
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the name "India" is derived from the Classical Latin India, a reference to South Asia and an uncertain region to its east. In turn the name "India" derived successively from Hellenistic Greek India ( Ἰνδία), ancient Greek Indos ( Ἰνδός), Old Persian Hindush (an eastern province of the Achaemenid Empire), and ultimately its cognate, the Sanskrit Sindhu, or "river", specifically the Indus River and, by implication, its well-settled southern basin.[4] The term Bharat (Bhārat, mentioned in the Indian epic poetry is used in its variations by many Indian languages. A modern rendering of the historical name Bharatavarsha, Bharat gained increased currency from the mid-19th century as a native name for India.[5] |
| National flag | Flag of India[1] |  |
15 August 1947 (Dominion of India)[6] 26 January 1950 (Republic of India) |
A horizontal rectangular tricolour with equally sized deep saffron at the top, white in the middle and India green at the bottom with the Dharma Chakra, a 24-spoke wheel, in navy blue at its center.[1] The ratio of width of the flag to its length is two to three. Saffron indicates the strength and courage, white represents peace, green expresses fertility, growth and auspiciousness with Chakra representing truth.[7] The flag is based on the Swaraj flag design proposed by Pingali Venkayya.[8] |
| National emblem | State Emblem of India[9] |  |
30 December 1947 (Dominion of India)[10] 26 January 1950 (Republic of India) |
An adaptation of Lion Capital of Ashoka at Sarnath consisting of four Asiatic lions standing back to back, symbolizing power, courage, confidence and faith.[11] The lions are mounted on a circular abacus over a bell-shaped lotus. The abacus has a frieze carrying the reliefs of an elephant, a galloping horse, a bull and a lion with a Dharma chakra in the middle.[9][7]
The motto "Satyameva Jayate" (English: Truth Alone Triumphs) is a quote taken from Mundaka Upanishad, the concluding part of the sacred Hindu Vedas.[12] It inscribed below the abacus in Devanagari script as a part of the state emblem.[9] |
| National motto | Satyameva Jayate ("Truth Alone Triumphs")[9] | |||
| National anthem | Jana Gana Mana ("Thou Art the Ruler of the Minds of All People")[13] |
 |
24 January 1950 (Dominion of India)[14] 26 January 1950 (Republic of India) |
"Jana Gana Mana" is taken from Bharoto Bhagyo Bidhata, composed in Bengali by Rabindranath Tagore on 11 December 1911.[15] It was first publicly sung on 27 December 1911 at Calcutta.[16] The first stanza of the song Bharoto Bhagyo Bidhata was adopted by the Constituent Assembly of India as the National Anthem on 24 January 1950.[14] The national anthem is played in approximately 52 seconds.[7] |
| National song | Vande Mataram ("I bow to thee, O Mother!")[17] |
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24 January 1950 (Dominion of India)[7] 26 January 1950 (Republic of India) |
Vande Mataram is a Sanskrit poem written by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay. It was first published in 1882 as part of Chatterjee's Bengali novel Anandmath.[18] The poem played a vital role in the Indian independence movement and gained political significance when it was recited by Rabindranath Tagore in 1896.[19] The first two verses of the song were adopted as the National Song of India On 24 January 1950 by the Constituent Assembly of India.[7] |
| National days | Independence Day[1] |  |
15 August 1947 | The Constituent Assembly of India met at 11 pm on 14 August in the Constitution Hall in New Delhi which was chaired by Rajendra Prasad. In this session, Jawaharlal Nehru delivered the Tryst with Destiny speech proclaiming India's independence.[20][21] The Dominion of India became an independent country on 15 August 1947 as official ceremonies took place in New Delhi.[22] |
| Republic Day[1] |  |
26 January 1950 | Republic Day commemorates the adoption of the Constitution of India and the country's transition to a republic on 26 January 1950.[23][24] The date was chosen as the Indian National Congress proclaimed Purna Swaraj (complete independence) on this day in 1930.[25] | |
| Gandhi Jayanti[1] |  |
2 October | Gandhi Jayanti is celebrated to mark the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, the "Father of the nation". Gandhi espoused one of the most well known philosophies of nonviolent resistance and played a key role in Indian Independence movement.[26] | |
| Oath of allegiance | National Pledge[27] |  |
26 January 1965[28] | It was written in Telugu by Pydimarri Venkata Subba Rao in 1962.[29] Central Advisory Board on Education directed that the pledge to be sung in Schools and that this practice to be introduced by 26 January 1965.[30] |
| National currency | Indian Rupee[31] |  |
15 August 1947 15 July 2010 (symbol)[31] |
Indian rupee (ISO code: INR) is the official currency of India, the issuance of which is controlled by the Reserve Bank of India. Rupee is derived from rupya or rūpiya, which was used to denote various coins in usage since 4th century B.C.[32] The Indian rupee symbol, adopted in July 2010, is a combination of Devanagari "Ra" and the Roman letter "R" with two parallel horizontal lines at the top which represent the national flag and indicate equality.[31] |
| National calendar | Indian National Calendar[33] |  |
22 March 1957[33] | The Indian national calendar is based on the Shaka era Hindu calendar and has 365 days across 12 months.[34] It is used, alongside the Gregorian calendar, by The Gazette of India, in news broadcasts by All India Radio and in calendars and communications issued by the Government of India.[33] |
| National animal | Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris)[7] |  |
April 1973[35] | The tiger was chosen as the national animal in a meeting of the Indian Board for Wildlife in 1972 and was adopted officially in April 1973. It was chosen over the Asiatic lion due to the wider presence of the tiger across India.[36][35] Tiger is one of the big cats and consists of prominent black stripes on a yellow coat.[37] As of 2023, India is home to almost 75% of the world's wild tiger population.[38] |
| National bird | Indian peafowl (Pavo cristatus)[7] |  |
1 February 1963[39] | Indian peacock is designated as the national bird of India in February 1963.[40] A bird indigenous to the Indian subcontinent, the peacock is a colorful bird, with males being larger than females and consisting of blue neck and a spectacular long train made up of elongated upper-tail covert feathers with colorful eyespots.[41] The female is smaller with brown feathers and lacks the elongated tail. The males display in courtship by raising the upper-tail coverts into an arched fan.[42] |
| National heritage animal | Indian elephant (Elephas maximus indicus)[43] | .jpg) |
22 October 2010[44] | Indian elephant is the largest terrestrial mammal in India and was declared as the national heritage animal of India since 22 October 2010.[45][44] The Indian elephant is native to mainland Asia with nearly three-fourth of the population found in India.[46][47] The Indian elephant is a cultural symbol throughout its range and appears in various religious traditions and mythologies.[48][49] |
| National flower | Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera)[50] |  |
1950[51] | Lotus is an aquatic plant adapted to grow in the flood plains. Lotus seeds can remain dormant and viable for many years and rehydrate to begin a new lotus colony when favorable circumstances return. The oldest recorded lotus germination from seeds 1,300 years old have been recorded and therefore the plant is regarded as a symbol of longevity.[52] Therefore, the Chinese regard the plant as a symbol of longevity. It is a sacred flower and occupies a unique position in the art and mythology of ancient India and has been an auspicious symbol of Indian culture.[53] |
| National tree | Indian Banyan (Ficus benghalensis)[50] |  |
1950 | Indian banyan is a tree native to the Indian subcontinent and is among the largest trees in the world by canopy coverage. It produces aerial roots which grow downwards as aerial roots on the branches that grow downward like lianas.[54] Because of this characteristic and its longevity, this tree is considered immortal and is an integral part of the myths and legends of India.[55] The Banyan tree is said to symbolize unity denoted by the tree's structure and deep roots. The banyan tree gives shelter to various organisms and denotes India and its people from different backgrounds.[50] |
| National fruit | Mango (Mangifera indica)[50] |  |
1950 | Mango is a large fruit tree with many varieties.[56] It is believed to have originated in Northeast India.[57][58] It has been cultivated in India since ancient times and is known for its deliciousness.[50] It is considered an economically important fruit in India and India is the largest producer of mangoes worldwide.[59] |
| National aquatic animal | Ganges river dolphin (Platanista gangetica)[60] |  |
18 May 2010[61] | The Ganges river dolphin is an endangered freshwater or river dolphin endemic to the Indian subcontinent. It is found in the Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers in India. It was announced as the national aquatic animal in 2010 to raise awareness towards its conservation.[61] |
| National reptile | King cobra (Ophiophagus hanna)[43] |  |
1972 | King Cobra is a snake endemic to Asia and is the world's longest venomous snake. The species has diversified coloration from black with white stripes to unbroken brownish grey and is the only ophidian that constructs an above-ground nest for its eggs.[62] The threat display of this elapid includes spreading its neck-flap and raising its head upright and hissing. The king cobra has an eminent position in the mythology and folklore of India.[63] |
| National river | Ganga |  |
4 November 2008[64] | The Ganges rises in the western Himalayas and flows south and east through the Gangetic plain of North India.[65] It is a lifeline to millions of people who live along its course.[66] It has been important historically; many former provincial or imperial capitals have been located on its banks. It is a sacred river and worshipped as the goddess Ganga in Hinduism.[67][68] |
| National microbe | Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus[69] |  |
18 October 2012[69] | Lactobacillus bulgaricus is a gram-positive bacterium used for the production of yogurt and plays a crucial role in the ripening of some cheese and processes involving naturally fermented products.[70] It is also considered a probiotic.[71] |
| National game | None[72] Field hockey[50] |
 |
Field hockey is a team sport in which each team plays with 11 players in total in which teams must move a hockey ball around a field by hitting it with a hockey stick towards the rival team's shooting circle and then into the goal. India has won the gold at the Summer Olympics eight times, the most by any nation.[73] As per a 2012 reply from Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports to a RTI query, there is no declared national game.[72] Field hockey was and continues to be listed as the national game in some Indian Government websites and text books.[50][74] |
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