National Flag: Architect honored in Andhra Pradesh

The Prime Minister of India paid tribute to National Flag designer Pingali Venkayya.

The Prime Minister will also launch a special commemorative postage stamp to mark the anniversary of Pingali Venkayya.
The original design of the national flag, made by Pingali Venkayya, will be displayed at the event.

He was a fervent freedom fighter who went on to design the flag of India.
He was born in Machilipatnam(which lies in the modern-day Krishna district of Andhra Pradesh) on August 2, 1876.
In 1916, he published a booklet on flags.
The booklet was titled ‘A National Flag for India.’
It contained twenty-four designs of flags.
Later, when he met Gandhi in Vijayawada, he showed him the booklet.
In 1921, Mahatma Gandhi approved a design during the Indian National Congress meeting in Vijayawada.
The flag that we see today was based upon his design.
Initially, Pingali Venkayya-designed the flag, which featured saffron and green colours only;
However, later, it was redesigned, and the third color, white, was introduced, along with a spinning wheel (Dharma Chakra) at the centre.
Finally, in 1931, the Indian National Congress officially adopted this flag as our nation’s flag.
A postage stamp in his honor was released in 2009.

The Flag of India was adopted in its present form during the meeting of the Constituent Assembly held on July 22, 1947.
It is a horizontal tricolor of deep saffron (Kesari) at the top, white in the middle, and dark green at the bottom in equal proportion.
The ratio of the flag’s width to its length is two to three.
The white band’s center is a navy blue wheel, representing the chakra.
Its design is that of the wheel on the abacus of the Sarnath Lion Capital of Ashoka.
Its diameter approximates the width of the white band, and it has 24 spokes.

Year	The History of the Indian National Flag
1906	The first national flag of India is said to have been hoisted on August 7th, 1906, in Kolkata at the Parsee Bagan Square (Green Park).
1907	In Germany, Madame Cama and her party of exiled revolutionaries hoisted the Indian flag.
1917	A new flag was adopted by Dr Annie Besant and Lokmanya Tilak as part of the Home Rule Movement.
1931	The tricolour was chosen as India’s national flag at a meeting of the Congress Committee in Karachi.
1947	On July 22, 1947, the Constituent Assembly approved the proposal on the national flag.

The top band is saffron in colour, indicating the strength and courage of the country.
The white middle band indicates peace and truth with the Dharma Chakra.
The last band is green, showing the land’s fertility, growth, and auspiciousness.

This Dharma Chakra depicts the “wheel of the law” in the Sarnath Lion Capital by the 3rd-century BC Mauryan Emperor Ashoka.
The chakra intends to show life in movement and death in stagnation.

On January 26, 2002, the Indian flag code was modified.
The citizens were allowed to hoist the Indian flag over their homes, offices, and factories on any day, not just national holidays.
The Flag Code of India, 2002, has been divided into three parts:

Part I of the Code contains a general description of the National Flag.
Part II of the Code is devoted to the display of the National Flag by members of the public and private organisations, educational institutions, etc.
Part III of the Code relates to the display of the National Flag by Central and State governments and their organisations and agencies.

Pic Courtesy: DNA India

Content Source: The Hindu