TheGovernment of India has designated officialnational symbols that represent theRepublic of India. These symbols serve as the representation of the identity of the country.[1] When India obtainedindependence from theBritish Raj on 15 August 1947, thetricolour flag officially became the first national symbol of theDominion of India.[2] TheIndian Rupee which was in circulation earlier was adopted as the official legal tender after independence.[3] The officialstate emblem with the mottoSatyameva Jayate was adopted later on 30 December 1947.[4] The national anthem and song were adopted two days before theConstitution of India was adopted on 26 January 1950.[5] After India became a republic following the enactment of the constitution, the national symbols officially came to represent the Republic of India.[1][6][7] The last to be adopted as a national symbol was the national microbeLactobacillus delbrueckii in October 2012.[8]
| Symbol | Name | Image | Adopted | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Official name | Republic of India (Bharat Ganarajya)[9] |  | 26 January 1950[10] | TheConstitution of India uses the official names of India and Bharat.[10][11] The name "India" is derived from theClassical LatinIndia, a reference to the region beyond theIndus River. In turn, the name "India" was derived successively fromHellenistic GreekIndia ( Ἰνδία),ancient GreekIndos ( Ἰνδός),Old PersianHindush (an eastern province of theAchaemenid Empire), and ultimately itscognate, theSanskritSindhu, or "river", specifically the Indus River and, by implication, itssettled basin.[12][13] The termBharat (Bhārat), mentioned in the ancientHindu literature, is used in several Indian languages. ThoughVedic literature uses the word to mention theBharatha tribe, the earliest usage of the word to represent a larger territory was in the first century BCE.[14] It is derived from the regionBharatavarsha ruled by king Bharatha, whose name literally means "the shining one".[15][16] 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.[17] |
| National flag | Flag of India[9] |  | 15 August 1947 (Dominion of India)[2] 26 January 1950 (Republic of India)[18] | The Indian flag is a horizontal rectangulartricolour with equally sizeddeep saffron at the top,white in the middle andIndia green at the bottom with theDharma chakra, a 24-spoke wheel, innavy blue at its centre.[9][19] 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 theswaraj flag design proposed byPingali Venkayya.[20][21] The tricolour flag was adopted by theConstituent Assembly of India on 22 July 1947.[19] It was unfurled by thefirst Prime MinisterJawaharlal Nehru on 15 August 1947.[22] |
| National emblem | State Emblem of India[23] |  | 30 December 1947 (Dominion of India)[4] 26 January 1950 (Republic of India)[7] | The national emblem is an adaptation of theLion Capital of Ashoka atSarnath consisting of fourAsiatic lions standing back to back, symbolising power, courage, confidence and faith.[24] 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 fromMundaka Upanishad, the concluding part of the sacred HinduVedas.[25] It is inscribed below the abacus inDevanagari 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 byDinanath Bhargava when the Constitution of India was adopted on 26 January 1950.[7] |
| National motto | Satyameva Jayate ("Truth Alone Triumphs")[23] | |||
| National anthem | Jana Gana Mana[26] ("Thou Art the Ruler of the Minds of All People")[27] |  | 24 January 1950 (Dominion of India)[26] 26 January 1950 (Republic of India)[10] | "Jana Gana Mana" is taken fromBharoto Bhagyo Bidhata, composed inBengali byRabindranath Tagore on 11 December 1911.[28] It was first publicly sung on 27 December 1911 atCalcutta.[29] 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[30] ("Mother, I bow to thee!")[31] | .png) | 24 January 1950 (Dominion of India)[1] 26 January 1950 (Republic of India)[10] | Vande Mataram is aSanskrit poem written byBankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, first published in 1882 as part of the Bengali novelAnandmath.[32][1] The poem played a vital role in theIndian independence movement and gained political significance when it was recited by Tagore in 1896.[33] 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 | Independence Day[9] |  | 15 August 1947[34] | TheIndian Independence Act, 1947 was passed by theBritish Parliament in July 1947.[35] The Constituent Assembly of India met at 11 pm on 14 August in the Constitution Hall inNew Delhi, chaired byRajendra Prasad in which Nehru delivered theTryst with Destiny speech proclaiming India's independence.[36][37] The Dominion of India became an independent country on 15 August 1947.[35][38] |
| Republic Day[9] |  | 26 January 1950[39] | Republic Day commemorates the adoption of the Constitution of India and the country's transition to a republic on 26 January 1950.[40][41] The date was chosen as theIndian National Congress proclaimedPurna Swaraj (complete independence) on this day in 1930.[42][43] | |
| Gandhi Jayanti[9] |  | 2 October[9] | Gandhi Jayanti is celebrated to mark the birthday ofMahatma Gandhi. Gandhi espoused the philosophy ofnonviolent resistance, played a key role in Indian Independence movement and, is regarded as the "Father of the Nation".[44][45] | |
| Oath of allegiance | National Pledge[46] |  | 26 January 1965[47] | It was written inTelugu byPydimarri Venkata Subba Rao in 1962.[48][49] The English version of the same was adopted as the national pledge.[50][46] The central advisory board on education directed that the pledge to be sung in schools from 26 January 1965.[51] |
| National currency | Indian Rupee[52] |  | 15 August 1947[3] 15 July 2010 (symbol)[52] | Indian rupee (ISO code: INR) is the official currency of India, the issuance of which is controlled by theReserve Bank of India.[53] Rupee is derived fromrupya orrūpiya, which was used to denote various coins in usage since 4th century BCE.[54] TheIndian 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.[52] |
| National calendar | Indian National Calendar[55] |  | 22 March 1957[55] | The Indian national calendar, based on theShaka era Hindu calendar was adopted on 22 March 1957.[55] The calendar has 365 days across 12 months.[56] It is used, alongside theGregorian calendar, byThe Gazette of India, in news broadcasts byAll India Radio and in calendars and communications issued by theGovernment of India.[55] |
| National animal | Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris)[1] |  | April 1973[57] | The 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 theAsiatic lion due to the wider presence of the tiger across India.[57][58] Tiger is one of thebig cats with prominent black stripes on a yellow coat and represents grace, strength, agility and power.[59] As of 2023, India is home to almost 75% of the world's wild tiger population.[60] |
| National bird | Indian peacock (Pavo cristatus)[1] |  | 1 February 1963[61] | Indian peacock was designated as the national bird of India in February 1963.[61][62] A bird indigenous to theIndian 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-tailcovert feathers with colourful eyespots, which it raises into an arched fan during courtship.[62][63][64] |
| National heritage animal | Indian elephant (Elephas maximus indicus)[65][66] | .jpg) | 22 October 2010[67] | Indian elephant is the largest terrestrialmammal in India and a cultural symbol throughout its range, appearing in various religious traditions and mythologies.[68][69] It is native to mainland Asia with nearly three-fourth of the population found in India.[70][71] It was declared as the national heritage animal of India on 22 October 2010.[65][67] |
| National tree | Indian Banyan (Ficus benghalensis)[72][73] |  | 1950[74] | Indian banyan is a large tree native to the Indian subcontinent and producesaerial roots from the branches which grow downwards, eventually becoming trunks.[75] Because of this characteristic and its longevity, this tree is considered immortal and is an integral part of the myths and legends of India.[76] 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.[72] |
| National fruit | Mango (Mangifera indica)[72][77] |  | 1950[78] | Mango is a largefruit tree with manyvarieties, believed to have originated innortheast India.[79][80][81] It has been cultivated in India since ancient times and is known for its deliciousness.[72] It is considered an economically important fruit in India and the country is the largest producer of mangoes worldwide.[82] |
| National aquatic animal | Ganges river dolphin (Platanista gangetica)[83][84] |  | 18 May 2010[85] | The Ganges river dolphin is anendangered freshwater orriver dolphin endemic to the Indian subcontinent and is found in theGanges andBrahmaputra rivers in India. It was announced as the national aquatic animal in May 2010 to raise awareness towards its conservation.[85] |
| National reptile | King cobra (Ophiophagus hanna)[66] |  | King Cobra is the world's longestvenomous snake and endemic toAsia.[86] The species has diversified coloration and possess a uniquethreat display, spreading its neck-flap and raising its head upright and hissing.[87][88] The snake occupies an eminent position in themythology andfolklore of India.[89][90] | |
| National river | Ganges River[91][92] |  | 4 November 2008[93] | The Ganges rises in the westernHimalayas and flows south and east through theIndo-Gangetic Plain ofNorth India.[94] It has been important historically with many cities located on its banks and is a lifeline to millions of people who live along its course.[95] It is considered as a sacred river and worshipped as agoddess inHinduism.[96][97] In November 2008, Ganges was declared as a national river due to its close association with the lives of millions of Indians.[91] |
| National microbe | Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus[8] |  | 18 October 2012[8] | Lactobacillus bulgaricus is agram-positivebacterium used for the production ofyogurt and plays a crucial role in natural processes involvingfermented products.[98] It is also considered aprobiotic.[99] It was declared as the national microbe in 18 October 2012 and was selected by children through voting.[8] |
| National flower | Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera)[72][100] |  | 1950[101] | Lotus is anaquatic plant adapted to grow in theflood plains. Lotus seeds can remain dormant and viable for many years, therefore the plant is regarded as a symbol oflongevity.[102][103] It occupies a unique position in the art and mythology of ancient India and has been an auspicious symbol of Indian culture.[104][105] While the flower was stated to be declared as the national flower of India in 1950,[101] the government has declared that no national flower exists despite contrary claims made by government officials and ministers.[106][107] |
| National game | Field hockey[72] |  | Field hockey is a team sport in whichIndia has won the gold at theSummer Olympics eight times, the most by any nation.[108] As per a 2012 reply fromMinistry of Youth Affairs and Sports to aRTI query, there was no declared national game in India.[109] But Field hockey continues to be listed as the national game in Indian Government websites and text books.[72][110] |
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" is the National Anthem of India
Article 1(1): India, that is Bharat, shall be a Union of States.
Panini makes the statement (V.2.120) that a 'form' (rüpa) when 'stamped' (ahata) or when praise-worthy (prašamsa) takes the endingya (i.e.rupya).
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