AI GEMINI:-
The evolution of India's national flag is a remarkable chronicle reflecting the country's freedom struggle, political milestones, and cultural identity. From its unofficial beginnings in 1906 to the adoption of the modern Tiranga in 1947, the national flag underwent several key transformations.
1. The Calcutta Flag (1906)
Design: Three horizontal stripes of green (top), yellow (middle), and red (bottom).
Details: The top green strip featured eight white lotuses representing eight provinces;
the middle yellow strip had the words "Vande Mataram" inscribed in deep blue; and the bottom red strip featured a sun on the left and a crescent moon with a star on the right. Significance: Unfurled on August 7, 1906, at Parsee Bagan Square in Calcutta (now Kolkata), this marked the first unofficial flag of India, emerging out of the Swadeshi movement protests against the partition of Bengal.
2. The Berlin Committee Flag (1907)
Design: A modified tricolor featuring orange/saffron (top), yellow (middle), and green (bottom).
Details: It featured a series of lotus flowers on the top stripe, and a star and crescent symbol on the green stripe.
Significance: Hoisted by Madam Bhikaji Cama on August 22, 1907, at the International Socialist Congress in Stuttgart, Germany, this was the first time an Indian flag was flown on foreign soil.
3. The Home Rule Flag (1917)
Design: Alternating five red and four green horizontal stripes.
Details: It featured the Union Jack in the upper left canton (signifying dominion status), a cluster of the Saptarishi constellation (seven stars) representing the Hindu sages, and a white crescent moon and star on the upper right.
Significance: Introduced by Dr. Annie Besant and Lokmanya Tilak during the Home Rule Movement, it aimed to chart a distinct political course within the British Empire.
4. The Gandhi–Venkayya Flag (1921)
Design: Two primary horizontal bands of red (top) and green (bottom), representing the two major communities (Hindus and Muslims).
Details: Mahatma Gandhi later proposed adding a white stripe in the middle to represent all other religious communities of India.
Superimposed across the center was a traditional spinning wheel (Charkha), symbolizing economic self-reliance and the spirit of Swaraj (self-rule). Significance: Designed by freedom fighter Pingali Venkayya, this flag became the rallying banner during the historic Flag Satyagraha of 1923 in Nagpur.
5. The Swaraj Flag (1931)
Design: Three horizontal bands of saffron (top), white (middle), and green (bottom), with the blue Charkha positioned centrally across the white stripe.
Significance: Formally adopted by the Indian National Congress during its Karachi session in 1931, this design marked a crucial step forward.
Crucially, the colors were given secular connotations: saffron stood for courage/sacrifice, white for truth/peace, and green for faith/prosperity, stripping away explicit communal associations. It served as the virtual flag of the freedom movement.
6. The Modern National Flag / The Tiranga (1947)
Design: Three equal horizontal bands of deep saffron, white, and dark green, with a navy blue Ashoka Chakra (the wheel of law) containing 24 spokes right in the center of the white band.
Significance:
Just days before independence, the Constituent Assembly adopted it as the official National Flag of India on July 22, 1947.
The Charkha of the Swaraj flag was replaced by the Ashoka Chakra (derived from the Lion Capital of Ashoka at Sarnath) to represent eternal motion, righteousness, and continuous progress.
It was flown proudly for the first time as an independent nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort on August 15, 1947
- Sister Nivedita's Flag (1904–1906): Created by an Irish disciple of Swami Vivekananda, this red and yellow flag featured a vajra (thunderbolt) and a white lotus with the words "Bonde Matoram". [1]
- The Calcutta Flag (1906): Hoisted on August 7, 1906, during anti-partition protests, this tricolor of blue, yellow, and red featured eight lotus flowers, the sun, a crescent moon, and "Vande Mataram". [1, 2, 3]
- The Berlin Committee Flag (1907): Unfurled in Germany by Madam Bhikaji Cama, it featured green, golden saffron, and red stripes with seven stars representing the Saptarishi constellation. [1]
- On July 22, 1947, the Constituent Assembly adopted the final version for independent India.
- Explore the official summary of the National Portal of India on the Evolution of the National Flag.
- Read a historical overview provided by the Ministry of Culture regarding India's Tricolour Journey.
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