National symbols of India

Official Name

The full official name of the nation is The Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य, Bhārat Ganrājya), as adopted on 26 January, 1950. The Constitution of India uses the official names of India and Bharat.^[9][10] The name "India" is derived from the Classical Latin India, a reference to the region beyond the Indus River. In turn, the name "India" was 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 settled basin.^[11][12]

The term Bharat (Devanagari: भारत, Bhārat), mentioned in the ancient Hindu literature, is used in several Indian languages. Though Vedic literature uses the word to mention the Bharatha tribe, the earliest usage of the word to represent a larger territory was in the first century BCE.^[13] It is derived from the region Bharatavarsha ruled by king Bharatha, whose name literally means "the shining one".^[14][15] A modern rendering of the historical name, Bharat became a native name for India in the mid-20th century after its mention in the constitution.^[16]

National Flag

The Indian flag is 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 centre.^[17][18] 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 the chakra symbolising truth.^[1]

The flag was designed based on the swaraj flag design proposed by Pingali Venkayya.^[19][20] The tricolour flag was adopted by the Constituent Assembly of India on 22 July 1947.^[18] It was unfurled by the first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru on 15 August 1947.^[21]

National Emblem and Motto

The national emblem is an adaptation of the Lion Capital of Ashoka at Sarnath consisting of four Asiatic lions standing back to back, symbolising power, courage, confidence and faith.^[22] 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.^[23][1]

The motto "Satyameva Jayate" (English: Truth Alone Triumphs) is a quote taken from Mundaka Upanishad, the concluding part of the sacred Hindu Vedas.^[24] It is inscribed below the abacus in Devanagari script as a part of the state emblem.^[23] The emblem was adopted by the constituent assembly on 30 December 1947.^[4] The emblem in its present form was designed by Dinanath Bhargava when the Constitution of India was adopted on 26 January 1950.^[7]

National Anthem

Jana Gana Mana (जन गण मन) (English: Thou Art the Ruler of the Minds of All People) is taken from Bharoto Bhagyo Bidhata, composed in Bengali by Rabindranath Tagore on 11 December 1911.^[25] It was first publicly sung on 27 December 1911 at Calcutta.^[26] The first stanza of the song was adopted by the Constituent Assembly of India as the national anthem on 24 January 1950.^[5] The national anthem is played in approximately 52 seconds.^[1][5]

National Song

Vande Mataram is a Sanskrit poem written by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, first published in 1882 as part of the Bengali novel Anandmath.^[27][1] The poem played a vital role in the Indian independence movement and gained political significance when it was recited by Tagore in 1896.^[28] 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.^[1]

National Days

National Currency

Indian Rupee (ISO code: INR) is the official currency of India, the issuance of which is controlled by the Reserve Bank of India.^[39] Rupee is derived from rupya or rūpiya, which was used to denote various coins in usage since 4th century BCE.^[40] 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.^[41]

National Calendar

The Indian national calendar, based on the Shaka era Hindu calendar was adopted on 22 March 1957.^[42] The calendar has 365 days across 12 months.^[43] 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.^[42]

National Animal

The Royal bengal tiger was chosen as the national animal in a meeting of the Indian wildlife board 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.^[44][45] Tiger is one of the big cats with prominent black stripes on a yellow coat and represents grace, strength, agility and power.^[46] As of 2023, India is home to almost 75% of the world's wild tiger population.^[47]

National Bird

Indian peacock was designated as the national bird of India in February 1963.^[48][49] A bird indigenous to the Indian subcontinent, the peacock is a colourful 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 colourful eyespots, which it raises into an arched fan during courtship.^[49][50][51]

National Heritage Animal

Indian elephant is the largest terrestrial mammal in India and a cultural symbol throughout its range, appearing in various religious traditions and mythologies.^[52][53] It is native to mainland Asia with nearly three-fourth of the population found in India.^[54][55] It was declared as the national heritage animal of India on 22 October 2010.^[56][57]

National Tree

Indian banyan is a large tree native to the Indian subcontinent and produces aerial roots from the branches which grow downwards, eventually becoming trunks.^[58] Because of this characteristic and its longevity, this tree is considered immortal and is an integral part of the myths and legends of India.^[59] The tree's structure and deep roots symbolise unity and as the tree gives shelter to various organisms , it denotes India and its people from different backgrounds.^[60]

National Fruit

Mango is a large fruit tree with many varieties, believed to have originated in northeast India.^[61][62][63] It has been cultivated in India since ancient times and is known for its deliciousness.^[60] It is considered an economically important fruit in India and the country is the largest producer of mangoes worldwide.^[64]

National Aquatic Animal

The Ganges river dolphin is an endangered freshwater or river dolphin endemic to the Indian subcontinent and is found in the Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers in India. It was announced as the national aquatic animal in May 2010 to raise awareness towards its conservation.^[65]

National Reptile

King Cobra is the world's longest venomous snake and endemic to Asia.^[66] The species has diversified coloration and possess a unique threat display, spreading its neck-flap and raising its head upright and hissing.^[67][68] The snake occupies an eminent position in the mythology and folklore of India.^[69][70]

National River

The Ganges rises in the western Himalayas and flows south and east through the Indo-Gangetic Plain of North India.^[71] It has been important historically with many historically important cities such as Pataliputra, Varanasi, Allahabad, all of which are located on its banks. It serves as a lifeline to millions of people who live along its course.^[72] It is considered as a sacred river and worshipped as a goddess in Hinduism.^[73][74] In November 2008, Ganges was declared as a national river due to its close association with the lives of millions of Indians.^[75]

National Microbe

Lactobacillus bulgaricus is a gram-positive bacterium used for the production of yogurt and plays a crucial role in natural processes involving fermented products.^[76] It is also considered a probiotic.^[77] It was declared as the national microbe in 18 October 2012 and was selected by children through voting.^[8]

National Flower

Lotus is an aquatic plant adapted to grow in the flood plains. Lotus seeds can remain dormant and viable for many years, therefore the plant is regarded as a symbol of longevity.^[78][79] It occupies a unique position in the art and mythology of ancient India and has been an auspicious symbol of Indian culture.^[80][81]

While the flower was stated to be declared as the national flower of India in 1950,^[82] the government has declared that no national flower exists despite contrary claims made by government officials and ministers.^[83][84]

National Sport

Field hockey is a team sport in which India has won the gold at the Summer Olympics eight times, the most by any nation.^[85] As per a 2012 reply from Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports to a RTI query, there was no declared national game in India.^[86] But Field hockey continues to be listed as the national game in Indian Government websites and text books.^[60][87]

Father of the Nation

Mahatma Gandhi is revered as the "Father of the Nation" in India for leading the country to independence from British rule using non-violent civil disobedience, or Satyagraha.^[88] The Government of India has confirmed through several Right to Information (RTI) queries that it has never officially bestowed the title of "Father of the Nation" upon Gandhi. The Supreme Court of India has observed that while Gandhi is the Father of the Nation in the hearts of the people, formal recognition is not necessary due to the high esteem in which he is held.^[89]