The National Emblem of India

The State Emblem of India is in adaptation from the Sarnath Lion, capital of Ashoka the Emperor as preserved in the Sarnath Museum. The government adopted the emblem on 26th January, 1950, the day when India became republic. In the original Sarnath capital, there are four lions, standing back to back, mounted on an abacus with a frieze carrying sculptures in high relief of an elephant, a galloping horse, a bull and a lion separated by intervening wheels over a bell-shaped lotus. Carved out of a single block of polished sandstone, the capital is crowned by the Wheel of the Law (Dharma Chakra). In the state emblem adopted by the government of India, only three Lions are visible, the fourth being hidden from view. The wheel appears in relief in the center of the abacus with a bull on the right and a horse on the left. 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. The emblem forms a part of the official letterhead of the Government of India, and appears on all Indian currency as well. It also sometimes functions as the national emblem of India in many places and appears prominently on the diplomatic and national Passport of the Republic of India.

The National Anthem of India

The Indian National anthem, originally composed in Bengali by Rabindranath Tagore, was adopted in its Hindi version by the Constituent Assembly as the National Anthem of India on 24 January 1950. It was first sung on 27 December 1911 at the Calcutta session of the Indian National Congress. The complete song consists of five stanzas. Playing time of full version of the National Anthem is approximately 52 seconds. The lyrics were rendered into English by Rabindranath Tagore himself.

, , !

Jana gana mana adhi naayaka jaya hai! Bhaarat bhaagya vidhaata Punjab Sindh Gujarat Maraatha, Dravid Utkala Bangaa. Vindhya Himachala Yamuna Ganga, Uchhala jaladhi taranga. Tava shubh naame jaage, Tava shubh aashish maage, Gahe tava jaya-gaatha. Jana-gana-mangaladayaka jaya hai! Bharat bhagya vidhata. Jaya hai! Jaya hai! Jaya hai! Jaya Jaya Jaya Jaya hai!
English Translation "Thou art the ruler of the minds of all people, dispenser of India's destiny. The name rouses the hearts of Punjab, Sind, Gujarat and Maratha, of the Dravid and Orissa and Bengal; It echoes in the hills of the Vindhyas and Himalayas, mingles in the music of the Yamuna and Ganga and is chanted by the waves of the Indian Sea. They pray for thy blessings and sing thy praise. The salvation of all people is in thy hand, thou dispenser of India's destiny. Victory, victory, victory to thee."

Facts About National Anthem The song Jana-gana-mana, composed originally in Bengali by Rabindranath Tagore, was adopted in its Hindi version by the Constituent Assembly as the National Anthem of India on 24 January 1950. A formal rendition of the national anthem takes fifty two seconds.

The National Animal of India

The Tiger (Panthera Tigris, Linnaeus) is the national animal of India. Tiger is also called the lord of Jungles. The national animal of India, is a rich-colored well-striped animal with a short coat. As the national animal of India, tiger symbolizes India's wildlife wealth. The combination of grace, strength, agility and enormous power has earned the tiger great respect and high esteem.

Out of the eight races of the species known, the Indian race, the Royal Bengal Tiger is found throughout the country (except the north-western region) and also in the neighboring countries like Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh. Tigers are now getting extinct. The Government of India, under its "Project Tiger" programme, started a massive effort to preserve the tiger population in 1973. Today, the tiger advances as a symbol of India's conservation of itself and its wildlife heritage. Since the launch of "Project Tiger", the tiger population has shown a gradual increase. So far, 23 tiger reserves have been established in the country under this project.

The National Fruit of India

The Mango (Known as "Aam" in Hindi) is the national fruit of India. The fruit Mango is one of the most widely cultivated fruits of the tropical world. This juicy, delicious fruit is a rich source of Vitamins A, C and D. There are over 100 varieties of mangos in India, in a in different sizes, shapes and colors. It is a fleshy fruit, eaten ripe or used green for pickles etc. 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. Akbar plant 100,000 mango trees in Darbhanga, known as Lakhi Bagh.

The National Flower of India

Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) 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. The Lotus or water lily is an aquatic plant of Nymphaea with broad floating leaves and bright fragrant flowers that grow only in shallow waters. The leaves and flowers float and have long stems that contain air spaces. The big attractive flowers have many petals overlapping in a symmetrical pattern. Lotuses, prized for their serene beauty, are delightful to behold as their blossoms open on the surface of a pond.

The National Flag of India

The Indian flag was designed as a symbol of freedom. The flag is a horizontal tricolor in equal proportion of deep saffron on the top, white in the middle and dark green at the bottom. Therefore it is also called as "Tiranga" (or "Tricolor"). The ratio of the width to the length of the flag is two is to three. In the centre of the white band, there is a wheel in navy blue to indicate the Dharma Chakra, the wheel of law in the Sarnath Lion Capital. Its diameter approximates the width of the white band and it has 24 spokes. Meaning behind the Colors of the Indian Flag The Saffron Color :The saffron stands for courage, sacrifice and the spirit of renunciation. The White Color : The white stands, for purity and truth. The Green Color : The green stands, for faith and fertility. The Chakra: The spoked Ashoka Chakra in the center of the flag replaced the Gandhian spinning wheel to add historical "depth" and separate the national flag from that of the Indian National Congress. This Dharma Chakra depicted the "wheel of the law" in the Sarnath Lion Capital made by the 3rd-century BC Mauryan Emperor Ashoka. The chakra intends to show that there is life in movement and death in stagnation. Birth of the Indian Flag The design of the National Flag of India was adopted by India's constituent assembly on 22nd July, 1947. It's use and display are regulated by a code. Flag Code: On 26th January 2002, the flag code was changed. After 52 years, the citizens of India are free to fly the Indian flag over their homes, offices and factories on any day. Now Indians can proudly display the national flag any where and any time.

The National Song of India

"'Vand Mtaram" is the national song of India. The song was composed by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee in a highly Sanskritized form of the Bengali language. The song first appeared in his book ''Anandamatha'', published in 1882 amid fears of a ban by British Raj, though the song itself was actually written six years prior in 1876.Though a major aspirant for being thenational anthem of India, Vande Mataram was eventually overtaken by Jana Gana Mana, which was ultimately chosen.

vandE mAtaraM vandE mAtaram sujalAM suphalAM malayaja shItalAm shashya shyAmalAM mAtaraM vandE mAtaram.h subrajyOtsnA pulakita yAminIm pulla kusumita drumadala shObhinIm suhAsinIM sumadhura bhAShinIm sukhadAM varadAM mAtaraM vandE mAtaram.h
The English translation of the stanza rendered by Sri Aurobindo in prose' is:

I bow to thee, Mother, richly-watered, richly-fruited, cool with the winds of the south, dark with the crops of the harvests, The Mother! Her nights rejoicing in the glory of the moonlight, her lands clothed beautifully with her trees in flowering bloom, Sweet of laughter, sweet of speech, The Mother, giver of boons, giver of bliss.

The National Sport of India

Hockey is the National Game of India. Unmatched excellence and incomparable virtuosity brought India a string of Olympic gold medals. The brilliant Indians brought a touch of black magic to their play and the ball juggling feats of the Indians were a sheer delight. The Golden Era of hockey in India was the period from 1928 - 1956 when India won 6 consecutive gold medals in the Olympics

The National Bird of India

The Peacock, Pavo cristatus (Linnaeus), is the national bird of India. It is a symbol of grace, joy, beauty and love. Peacock is a large and majestic bird. Peacock is a colorful, swan-sized bird with a fan-shaped crest of feathers on its head, a white patch under the eye and a long-slender neck.

The male of the species is more colorful 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. Peacock occupies a respectable position in Indian culture and is protected not only by religious sentiments but also by parliamentary statute. It is fully protected under the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. The significance of peacock is attached to cultures of India, Far East, Ancient Persia, Greek and Christian. In Hinduism, the image of the god of thunder, rains and war, Indra, was depicted in the form of a peacock. In south India, peacock is considered as a 'vahana' or vehilce of lord Muruga. The figure of peacock is painted in various Islamic religious buildings. In Christianity, the peacock was also known as the symbol of the 'Resurrection'.

In India people believe that whenever the cock spread its tails in an ornamental fashion, it indicates that rain is imminent. In a way it is partly true. At the sight of dark clouds the bird outspreads its tail and starts dancing in rhythmic fashion. Found wild in India (and also domesticated in villages) they live in jungle lands near water. They were once bred for food but now hunting of peacocks is banned in India. The peahen has no plumage. These birds do not sound as beautiful as they look they have a harsh call.

The National Tree of India

The Banyan (Bargad) is the National tree of India - called the Indian fig tree( Ficus bengalensis) grow over a large area. The roots then give rise to more trunks and branches. Because of this characteristic & longevity, the Banyan tree is considered immortal & sacred and is an integral part of the myths and legends in India. Even today, the banyan tree is the focal point of village life and the village council meetings under the shade of this huge shade-giving tree.

The National Calendar of India

The National Calendar based on the Saka Era with Chaitra 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: (i) Gazette of India, (ii) news broadcast by All India Radio, (iii) calendars issued by the Government of India and (iv) Government communications addressed to the members of the public. Dates of the national calendar have a permanent correspondence with dates of the Gregorian calendar : 1 Chaitra falling on 22 March normally and on 21 March in leap year.