![\"\"](\"http:\/\/india.gov.in\/images\/national_flag.gif\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
The National Flag is a horizontal tricolour of deep saffron (kesaria) at the top, white in the middle and dark green at the bottom in equal proportion. The ratio of width of the flag to its length is two to three. In the centre of the white band is a navy-blue wheel which represents the chakra.<\/p>\n
The top saffron colour, indicates the strength and courage of the country. The white middle band indicates peace and truth with Dharma Chakra. The green shows the fertility, growth and auspiciousness of the land.<\/p>\n
Its design is that of the wheel which appears on the abacus of the Sarnath Lion Capital of Ashoka. Its diameter approximates to the width of the white band and it has 24 spokes. The design of the National Flag was adopted by the Constituent Assembly of India on 22 July 1947.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/india.gov.in\/images\/national_flower.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Lotus (Nelumbo Nucipera Gaertn)<\/em> is the National Flower of India. 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 since time immemorial.<\/p>\n India is rich in flora. Currently available data place India in the tenth position in the world and fourth in Asia in plant diversity. From about 70 per cent geographical area surveyed so far, 47,000 species of plants have been described by the Botanical Survey of India (BSI).<\/p>\n The Indian peacock, Pavo cristatus<\/em>,<\/strong> the national bird of India, is a colourful, swan-sized bird, with a fan-shaped crest of feathers, a white patch under the eye and a long, slender neck. The male of the species is more colourful than the female, with a glistening blue breast and neck and a spectacular bronze-green tail of around 200 elongated feathers. The female is brownish, slightly smaller than the male and lacks the tail. The elaborate courtship dance of the male, fanning out the tail and preening its feathers is a gorgeous sight.<\/p>\n The magnificent tiger, Panthera tigris<\/em> is a striped animal. It has a thick yellow coat of fur with dark stripes. The combination of grace, strength, agility and enormous power has earned the tiger its pride of place as the national animal of India. Out of eight races of the species known, the Indian race, the Royal Bengal Tiger, is found throughout the country except in the north-western region and also in the neighbouring countries, Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh. To check the dwindling population of tigers in India, ‘Project Tiger’ was launched in April 1973. So far, 27 tiger reserves have been established in the country under this project, covering an area of 37,761 sq km.<\/p>\n Indian fig tree, Ficus bengalensis<\/em>, 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.<\/p>\n A fleshy fruit, eaten ripe or used green for pickles etc., of the tree Mangifera indica<\/em>, 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 over 100 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. Mughal emperor Akbar planted 100,000 mango trees in Darbhanga, Bihar at a place now known as Lakhi Bagh.<\/p>\n The Ganga<\/strong> or Ganges<\/strong> is the longest river of India flowing over 2,510 kms of mountains, valleys and plains. It originates in the snowfields of the Gangotri Glacier in the Himalayas as the Bhagirathi River. It is later joined by other rivers such as the Alaknanda, Yamuna, Son, Gumti, Kosi and Ghagra. The Ganga river basin <\/span> is one of the most fertile and densely populated areas of the world and covers an area of 1,000,000 sq. kms. There are two dams on the river – one at Haridwar and the other at Farakka. The Ganges River Dolphin is an endangered animal that specifically habitats this river.<\/p>\n The Ganga is revered by Hindus as the most sacred river on earth. Key religious ceremonies are held on the banks of the river at cities such as Varanasi, Haridwar and Allahabad. The Ganga widens out into the Ganges Delta in the Sunderbans swamp of Bangladesh, before it ends its journey by emptying into the Bay of Bengal.<\/p>\n The national calendar based on the Saka Era<\/strong>, with Chaitra<\/strong> as its first month and a normal year of 365 days was adopted from 22 March 1957 along with the Gregorian calendar for the following official purposes:<\/p>\n Dates of the national calendar have a permanent correspondence with dates of the Gregorian calendar, 1 Chaitra<\/strong> falling on 22 March normally and on 21 March in leap year.<\/p>\n The symbol of Indian Rupee typifies India’s international identity for money transactions and economic strength. The Indian Rupee sign is an allegory of Indian ethos. The symbol is an amalgam of Devanagari “Ra” and the Roman Capital “R” with two parallel horizontal stripes running at the top representing the national flag and also the “equal to” sign. The Indian Rupee sign was adopted by the Government of India on 15th<\/sup> July, 2010.<\/p>\n The symbol, conceptualised and designed by Udaya Kumar, a post graduate in Design from Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, has been chosen from thousands of concept entries received by the Ministry of Finance through an open competition among resident Indian nationals. The process of establishing and implementing this new identity is underway through various digital technology and computer applications.<\/p>\n The composition consisting of the words and music of the first stanza of the late poet Rabindra Nath Tagore’s song known as “Jana Gana Mana<\/strong>” is the National Anthem of India. It reads as follows:<\/p>\n Jana-gana-mana-adhinayaka, jaya he The song Vande Mataram<\/strong>, composed in Sanskrit by Bankimchandra Chatterji, was a source of inspiration to the people in their struggle for freedom. It has an equal status with Jana-gana-mana<\/strong>. The first political occasion when it was sung was the 1896 session of the Indian National Congress. The following is the text of its first stanza:<\/p>\n Vande Mataram!National Bird<\/h1>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/india.gov.in\/images\/national_bird.jpg\")
<\/p>\nNational Animal<\/h1>\n
![\"National](\"http:\/\/india.gov.in\/images\/national_animal.jpg\")
<\/p>\nNational Tree<\/h1>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/india.gov.in\/images\/national_tree.jpg\")
<\/p>\nNational Fruit<\/h1>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/india.gov.in\/images\/national_fruit_mango.gif\")
<\/p>\nNational River<\/h1>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/india.gov.in\/images\/national_river.jpg\")
<\/p>\nNational Calendar<\/h1>\n
\n
National Game<\/h1>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/india.gov.in\/images\/national_game_hockey.jpg\")
India’s National game is\u00a0 Hockey.<\/strong><\/p>\nCurrency Symbol<\/h1>\n
![\"Currency](\"http:\/\/india.gov.in\/images\/national_currency.jpg\" "\\"Currency")
<\/p>\nThe National Anthem –<\/h2>\n
\nBharata-bhagya-vidhata.
\nPunjab-Sindh-Gujarat-Maratha
\nDravida-Utkala-Banga
\nVindhya-Himachala-Yamuna-Ganga
\nUchchala-Jaladhi-taranga.
\nTava shubha name jage,
\nTava shubha asisa mage,
\nGahe tava jaya gatha,
\nJana-gana-mangala-dayaka jaya he
\nBharata-bhagya-vidhata.
\nJaya he, jaya he, jaya he,
\nJaya jaya jaya, jaya he!<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n
\n
National Song<\/h1>\n
\nSujalam, suphalam, malayaja shitalam,
\nShasyashyamalam, Mataram!
\nVande Mataram!
\nShubhrajyotsna pulakitayaminim,
\nPhullakusumita drumadala shobhinim,
\nSuhasinim sumadhura bhashinim,
\nSukhadam varadam, Mataram!
\nVande Mataram, Vande Mataram!<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"