National Symbols of India

 The national symbols of India represent the culture and nature of India's National
Identity.
 They infuse a sense of pride and patriotism in every Indian's heart.
Title National Symbol
National Flag Tiranga
National Anthem Jana Gana Mana
National Calendar Saka Calendar
National Song
National Emblem Sarnath Lion

National Fruit Mango

National River Ganga
National Animal Royal Bengal Tiger
National Tree Indian Banyan
National Aquatic Anima Ganges River Dolphin
National Bird Indian Peacock
National Currency Indian Rupee
National Reptile King Cobra
National Heritage Indian Elephant
Animal
National Flower Lotus
National Vegetable Punpkin
Oath of Allegiance National Pledge

There are 17 national symbols of India. The Importance of National Symbols are :
1. They exemplify the rich cultural fiber that resides at the core of the country.
2. Infuse a deep sense of pride in the hearts of Indian citizens.
3. Represent a quality unique to India and its citizens.
4. Popularize the object chosen.
5. Help to preserve the chosen national symbol for generations to come.

National Flag: Tiranga

 Tiranga is the national flag of India.
 It was designed by Pingali Venkayya and was
adopted by the Constituent Assembly on 22nd
July 1947.
The top saffron colour : indicates the strength and courage of the country.
The white middle band : indicates peace and truth with Dharma Chakra.
Ashoka Chakra : Navy blue on a white background
 The Ashoka chakra is also known as Samay chakra in which the 24 spokes represent 24
hours of the day and is the symbol of the movement of the time.
 Replaced the symbol of the charkha of the pre-independence version of the flag
 The chakra signifies that there is life in movement and death in stagnation. It represents
the dynamism of a peaceful change.

The green colour shows the fertility, growth and auspiciousness of the land.
 Its design is that of the wheel which appears on the abacus of the Sarnath Lion Capital
of Ashoka.
 The design of the National Flag was adopted by the Constituent Assembly of India on 22
July 1947
 Ratio of the Flag is 2:3
 The national flag was first hoisted at Green Park, Kolkata, on August 7, 1906 by
Surendranath Bannerji.
 In 1907 Madame Bhikaji Rustom Cama originally mooted the design of the flag and was
unfurled for the first time at Stuttgart (Germany) for the second International Socialist
Congress held on August 22, 1907.

National Emblem :
 It is adopted from Lion Capital of Ashoka at Sarnath.
 Its motto is Satyameva Jayate; ("Truth Alone Triumphs).
 Elephant (East), Horse (West), Bull (South), and Lion (North). {Elephant cant be seen}
 In the original, there are four lions,an elephant, a horse, a bull
 Adopted on 26 January 1950, only three lions are visible, the fourth being hidden from
 view.
 The bell-shaped lotus has been omitted.
 The words "Satyameva Jayate" from Mundaka Upanishad,
meaning 'Truth Alone Triumphs', are inscribed below the
abacus in Devanagari script.

National Calendar: Saka Calendar

 The Saka Era is believed to be founded by King Shalivanhana
of Shatavahana dynasty.
 The Saka calendar consists of 365 days and 12 months which
is similar to Gregorian Calendar
 The Saka calendar begins with the month of Chaitra (March) and the Ugadi/Gudi Padwa
festivals mark the new year.
 Saka Calendar was introduced by the Calendar Committee in 1957.
 Usage started officially at 1 Chaitra 1879, Saka Era, or 22 March 1957.

Q. Who started the Saka Era and when?

Kanishka in 78 A.D

National Anthem: Jana Gana Mana

 It was originally composed in Bengali by Rabindranath Tagore, & adopted in its Hindi
version by the Constituent Assembly on 24 January 1950.
 First Sung - 27 December 1911 at Calcutta Session of INC
 The complete song consists of five stanzas.
 The first stanza contains the full version of the National Anthem.

National Song: Vande Matram

 Composed in Sanskrit by Bankimchandra Chatterji.
 Adopted on 24 January 1950.
 Rabindranath Tagore sang first in 1896 at the Calcutta Congress Session
 Dakhina Charan Sen sang it five years later in 1901 at Calcutta Session
 The song was a part of Bankimchandra's novel Anand Math (1882).
 Anandamath is a Bengali fiction, written by B.C.C published in 1882.

National Currency: Indian Rupee

 The Indian rupee (ISO code: INR) is the official currency of the Republic of India.
 The issuance of the currency is controlled by the Reserve Bank of India.
र
 Symbol is derived from the Devanagari consonant " " (ra) and the Latin letter "R" was
adopted in 2010.
 Designed by Udaya Kumar Dharmalingam.
  The INR depicts an equality sign that symbolizes the nation's desire to reduce economic
disparity.

National Animal: Bengal Tiger

 (Panthera tigris tigris)
 It was adopted in April 1973 due to the
dwindling population of the tigers.
 Prior to the tiger the national animal of
India was the Lion.

National Bird: Peacock

 (Pavo cristatus)
 Adopted on February 1, 1963.

National Aquatic Animal: Dolphin

 The Ganges river dolphin (Platanista
gangetica)
 It is also the city animal of the Guwahati.

National Fruit: Mango

 (Mangifera indica) , affectionately called King of Fruits
 It represents prosperity, abundance and richness in favor of the country’s image.

National Flower: Lotus

 (Nelumbo nucifera).
 It is an aquatic herb that is often termed as
‘Padma’ in Sanskrit
 The Lotus symbolizes spirituality, fruitfulness,
wealth, knowledge, illumination, along with
purity of heart and mind.

National Tree: Banyan Tree

 (Ficus benghalensis)

National River: Ganga

 The river has a length of 2,525 km
 Yamuna is longest Tributary of Ganga (Right Bank)
 Ghagra river is the largest tributary of river Ganga
 The river discharges itself into the Bay of Bengal near the Sagar Island.
 Ganga Action plan(Phase -1) was launched in June 1985. It covered 25 towns.
National Reptile: King Cobra
 King Cobra or Snake eater (Ophiophagus hannah)
 King cobras are the longest venomous snakes in the world

National Heritage Animal: Indian Elephant

 (Elephas maximus indicus)

Oath of Allegiance: National Pledge

 The National Pledge is an oath of allegiance to the Republic Of India.
 It is commonly recited by Indians in unison at public events, especially in schools, and
during the Independence Day and Republic Day celebrations.
 The pledge was originally composed in Telugu language by P.V Subba Rao in 1962.
 It was first read out in a school in Visakhapatnam in 1963

Q1. What is the national flag of India called?

Ans: Tiranga. It was designed by Pingali Venkayya.

Q2. What is the National Song Of India called?

Ans: "Vande Mataram" written by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay.

Q3. When was the National Anthem of India sung for the 1st time?
Ans: 27th December 1911 at the Calcutta Session.

Q4. Who designed the symbol of the National Rupee?

Ans: Udaya Kumar Dharmalingam

Q5. How many national symbols do we have?

There are 17 national symbols of India.