![[Flag of India]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=https%3a%2f%2fflagspot.net%2fflags%2f..%2fimages%2fi%2fin.gif)
image byZoltan Horvath, 15 June 2024
Flag adopted 22 July 1947, coat of arms adopted 26 January 1950.
On 15 August 1947 the dominions of India and Pakistan were established. India adopted the familiar horizontal tricolor of orange, white, and green with a blue Ashoka Chakra at the center. The tricolor had been used, unofficially, since the early 1920s as the flag of the Indian National Congress, with the colors representing Hinduism (orange), Islam (green), and a hoped-for unity and peace (white). More unofficially, the flag was patterned on theotherexample of struggle against British imperialism, Ireland. Most often, a bluespinning wheel was shown in the center, derived from Gandhi's call for economicself-sufficiency through hand-spinning.
The spoked Ashoka Chakra (the "wheel of the law" of the 3rd-century BC Mauryan Emperor Ashoka) replaced the Gandhian spinning wheel to add historical "depth" and separate the national flag from the INC party flag (and Indian political party flagsare another tale).
Ed Haynes, 10 April 1996
The national flag strictly is a state flag, butAlbum des Pavillons (2000) in a note explains that it may be used by privatecitizens only in certain circumstances.
Željko Heimer, 6 November 2001
Concerning the use of the national flag as a war flag (military flag), seeour page on the Indian army.
"The Karnataka Khadi Gramodyoga Samyukta Sangha (KKGSS) is a manufacturing federation located in Garag village ... It is the only unit in India that is authorised to manufacture and supply the flag of India. ... The Khadi and Village Industries Commission has certified KKGSS as the sole manufacturer and supplier of the Indian_flag to the entire country."
from: Wikipedia:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karnataka_Khadi_Gramodyoga_Samyukta_Sangha
William Garrison, 20 July 2021
Note: we have found it almost impossible to represent the shade of saffron onthe Indian flag adequately for all monitors - some show it too yellow, other tooorange. If you compare it with the colours on the flag ofBrunei andIreland you will see we have indeed chosena tone between orange and yellow, as close to saffron as we can.
Quoting from IS 1:1968, "Specification for the National Flag of India (CottonKhadi)":
3.1.2.2 The colours of the flag, that is, India saffron(KESARI), India green and navy blue, shall correspond, when visually examined inordinary daylight to the colours in the seal standard flag held in the custodyof the Chief Inspector, Chief Inspectorate of Textiles & Clothing, Kanpur.
[NOTE - Spectrophotometric values of the white, India saffron (KESAIR) and Indiagreen colours in the flag presented to the Constituent Assembly on 22 July 1947were measured by the then Technical Development Establishment Laboratory(Stores), Kanpur using the illuminant C as specified by the InternationalCommission on Illumination, 1931 and found to be as follows:
| Colour | Trichromatic Values x y z Brightness, Percent | |
| White | 0.313 0.319 0.368 | 72.6 |
| India saffron (KESARI) | 0.538 0.360 0.102 | 21.5 |
| India green | 0.288 0.395 0.317 | 8.9 |
It is intended that the flags made to conform to thisstandard should have colours approximating as closely as possible to thecolours as defined above. For all practical purposes, however, correspondenceto the seal standard flag shall be considered adequate. For the purpose ofcontrolling production, sample pieces of bunting dyed to the standard colours[India saffron (KESARI), India green and navy blue] may be obtained atnominal cost from the Indian Standards Institution.]
Jonathan Dixon,17 January 2012
The protocol manual for the London 2012 Olympics (Flagsand Anthems Manual London 2012) provides recommendations for national flagdesigns. Each NOC was sent an image of the flag, including the PMS shades, fortheir approval by LOCOG. Once this was obtained, LOCOG produced a 60 x 90 cmversion of the flag for further approval. So, while these specs may not be theofficial, government, version of each flag, they are certainly what the NOCbelieved the flag to be. For India: PMS 1495 orange, 362 green, 2755 blue. Thevertical flag is simply the horizontal version turned 90 degrees anti-clockwise.
Ian Sumner, 11 October 2012
Specification for The National Flag of India issued in 1968 gives construction details and color specification:
https://law.resource.org/pub/in/bis/S12/is.1.1968.pdf
Other sources for colors:
The Flag Manual - Beijing 2008 gives Pantone colors: PMS 1495 (saffron), PMS 362 (green), PMS 2755 (navy blue).
The Album des Pavillons 2000 [pay00] (Corr. No. 5.) gives approximate colors in Pantone and CMYK systems:
Saffron: Pantone 021c, CMYK 0-50-90-0
Green: Pantone 341c, CMYK 100-0-70-30
Blue: Pantone 548c, CMYK 100-20-0-65
Red: Pantone 186c, CMYK 0-90-80-5
The Album des Pavillons 2023 already specifies the colors of the flags in three color systems.
Blue: Pantone 2738c, CMYK 100-92-21-6, RGB 0-0-145
Red: Pantone 186c, CMYK 14-100-79-4, RGB 200-16-46
Saffron: Pantone 165c, CMYK 0-60-88-0, RGB 255-103-31
Green: Pantone 349c, CMYK 89-32-92-24, RGB 4-106-56
Vexilla Mundi gives colors in Pantone system: PMS 165C (saffron), PMS White, PMS 348C (green), and PMS 539C (blue).
Wikipedia refers to Flag Code of India (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_Code_of_India) nd gives color specifications as follows:
India saffron: Pantone 165 C, CMYK 0-60-88-0, Hex #FF671F, RGB 255-103-31
White: Pantone 000 C, CMYK 0-0-0-0, Hex #FFF FFF, RGB 255-255-255
India green: Pantone 2258 C, CMYK 96-0-47-58, Hex #046A38, RGB 4-106-56
Navy blue: Pantone 2735 C, CMYK 96-98-0-45, Hex #06038D, RGB 6-3-141
Flag Color Codes gives the following color values:
Saffron: Hex. # FF671F, RGB 255-103-31, CMYK 0-60-88-0, Pantone 165 C, RAL 2008
White: Hex. # FFF FFF, RGB 255-255-255, CMYK 0-0-0-0, Pantone White C, RAL N/A
Green: Hex. # 046A38, RGB 4-106-56, CMYK 96-0-47-58, Pantone 2258 C, RAL 6029
Navy Blue: Hex. # 06038D, RGB 6-3-141, CMYK 96-98-0-45, Pantone 2735 C, RAL 5002
Zoltan Horvath, 15 June 2024
'The Indian flag is a horizontal tricolor in equal proportion of deep saffronon the top, white in the middle and dark green at the bottom. The ratio of thewidth to the length of the flag is two is to three. In the centre of the whiteband, there is a wheel in navy blue to indicate the Dharma Chakra, the wheel oflaw in the Sarnath Lion Capital. This center symbol or the 'CHAKRA' is a symboldating back to 2nd century BC. Its diameter approximates the width of the whiteband and it has 24 spokes, which intends to show that there is life in movementand death in stagnation. The saffron stands for courage and sacrifice; thewhite, for purity and truth; the green for growth and auspiciousness.
The Constituent Assembly which drew up the Constitution of India, adopted, on 22July 1947, the tricolor as Independent India's National Flag. After a debate,the Dharma Chakra (of Emperor Ashoka) was included in the central white stripeof the flag, instead of the Charka (used symbolically by Gandhiji and alsoincluded in the flag used by the Indian National Congress). The same Chakraadorns the State Emblem adapted from the Sarnath Lion Capital of Ashoka inaddition to the motto from the Mundaka Upanishad, Satyameva Jayate which means:Truth alone triumphs. The Chakra or the wheel symbolizes the Power of the Stategoverned by Dharma, which is the primordial Indian system of justice which isthe bed-rock, not only of governance but of the socio-politico-economic edificeitself.'
Brinda Maindiratta, 2 April 2003
The following is anextract from the preamble to theflag code of India asposted on the official Home Ministry website of the Indian government:
The significance of the colours and the chakra in the National Flag wasamply described by Dr. S. Radhakrishnan in the Constituent Assembly which
unanimously adopted the National Flag. Dr. S. Radhakrishnan explained-"Bhagwa or the saffron colour denotes renunciation of disinterestedness.Our leaders must be indifferent to material gains and dedicate themselves totheir work. The white in the centre is light, the path of truth to guide ourconduct. The green shows our relation to soil, our relation to the plantlife here on which all other life depends. The Ashoka Wheel in the centre ofthe white is the wheel of the law of dharma. Truth or satya, dharma orvirtue ought to be the controlling principles of those who work under thisflag. Again, the wheel denotes motion. There is death in stagnation. Thereis life in movement. India should no more resist change, it must move and goforward. The wheel represents the dynamism of a peaceful change."
Shree Sinha, 25 November 2003
Reproduced below an extract fromJawaharlal Nehru's address to the Constituent Assembly for the date on which thenational flag was adopted (Tuesday, 22 July 1947):
"I present this Flag to you.This Resolution defines the Flag which I trustyou will adopt. In a sense this Flag was adopted, not by a formalresolution, but by popular acclaim and usage, adopted much more by thesacrifice that surrounded it in the past few decades. We are in a sense onlyratifying that popular adoption. It is a Flag which has been variouslydescribed. Some people, having misunderstood its significance, have thoughtof it in communal terms and believe that some part of it represents thiscommunity or that. But I may say that when this Flag was devised there wasno communal significance attached to it."
At the same meeting of the Constituent Assembly, Govind Das added:
"There is no touch of communalism in the three colours of the flag. Panditji(i.e., Jawaharlal Nehru) has already told you this in the course of hisspeech. It is true that at a time when the colours were red, white and greenthere was a trace of communalism in the flag. But when we changed thesecolours to saffron, white and green, we declared it in clear words that thethree colours had no communal significance."
Theofficial website of the High Commission of India in London states "Thesaffron stands for courage, sacrifice and the spirit of renunciation; the white,for purity and truth; and the green for faith and fertility.
Shree Sinha, 25 November 2003
I have seen at a guess a dozen or more artificially constructed and intentionally fanciful imposed "meanings" for the Indian flag. Most are fairly phoney and contrived. When first used early in this century, the explanation was simple: saffron = Hindus, green = Muslims, white = the peace between then (wish-fulfillment?), the wheel = the Gandhian spinning wheel (early on, more obviously so in the design). Post-independence explanations differ, though those today (especially the current pressure to change the flag to solid orange) return to earlier meanings. The similarity to theIrish flag, though with different equivalences, was not in any way an accident. Pick an explanation...?
Ed Haynes, 30 September 1998
One of the spurious meanings ofthe Indian flag according tohttp://www.trimurtisolutions.com/india/index.html states the color of saffron/kesaria stand for patriotism (balidaan), white is for simplicity and peace, green is for agriculture (kheti) farming (kisan) and greenery (hariyali), the navy blue wheel in the center is the "Ashoka chakra", the wheel of progress.
collected byDov Gutterman, 30 September 1998
I'm extremely sceptical of the information about a controversy regarding the color of the flag. We have border disputes and other headaches, but an issue regarding the flag itself? Doesn't exist. However, the significance of the blue wheel is much more (and here it borders on Hindu philosophy): "The chakra [wheel] in the Indian Flag which represents the wheel of lifeconveys the importance of karma. It is also a symbol for continuation of life and its cycles".
Jeetendra Chandragiri, 17 Dec 1999
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. Except some basic rules to follow while flying the flags, all other restrictions have been removed. Now Indians canproudly display the national flag any where and any time.
Mohan, 12 Feb 2002
There are some rules and regulations upon how to fly the flag, based onthe 26 January 2002 legislation. These include the following:
The Do's
The entire flag code can be obtained atOutlook India or at theIndian Ministry of Home Affairs
Pascal Vagnat, 18 January 2003,Zach Harden, 4 January 2010
IndlawNews, 9 March 2006, reported:
"The Punjab and Haryana High Court today issued notice for March 16 to PunjabGovernment on a plea against the use of National Flag by the chief parliamentarysecretary and the parliamentary secretaries on their official vehicles. Thedivision bench of Justices Surinder Singh Saron and Surya Kant ordered thisafter the preliminary hearing on the application moved by advocate Antar SinghBrar, member of the Chandigarh BJP's legal cell, wherein he challenged thevalidity of the action of the respondents to use National Flag on their officialvehicles."
Ivan Sache, 14 March 2006
"Use of National Flags made of plastic affects the dignity of the flag asthey are not biodegradable like the paper flags and also they cannot bedestroyed for a long time. It is also harmful for the atmosphere. Having noticedlarge scale use of National Flags made of plastic, the Union ministry of homeaffairs has asked all states and Union government to use only flags made ofpaper on important national, cultural and sports events. The Union deputy homesecretary, SM Bhatnagar in an intimation sent to the states' chief secretariesand secretaries of all ministries/departments of the government of India askedthem to pay attention to paragraph 2.2 (x) of section-I of part II of the flagcode of conduct of India. The flag code of conduct of India states "the flagmade of paper may be waved by public on occasions of important national,cultural and sports events. However, such paper flags should not be discarded orthrown on the ground after the event. As far as possible, it should be disposedof in private consistent with the dignity of the flag." In the intimation of theMHA which addresses the chief secretaries of states and Union territorygovernments, secretaries of all ministries/department of government of Indiaasked them to ensure use of only flags made of paper on important national,cultural and sports events in terms of the provisions of the flag code ofIndia."
Source:The Imphal Free Press, 3 January 2006
Ivan Sache, 6 January 2007
Wikipedia informs us that the flag must, by law, be made from "Khadi," thesort of cloth Gandhi wove.
Nathan Lamm, 4 January 2010
A strict flag code announced in the year 1950 regulated the use and displayof the national flag.It barred the use of the flag in advertisements or for any other commercialactivity.In fact, even private citizens were not allowed to fly the flag over theirhomes, offices or factories except on certain designated days like theRepublic Day or the Independence Day.
Source: BBC News
Contributed bySantiago Tazon, 31 August 2000
There is a clear proviso in the flag code permitting putting flower petals inside the national Tricolour before it is unfurled on special occasions like Republic Day and Independence Day... the proviso permitting the use of petals was added to Section 5.9 on January 24, 1997
Source: The Tribune
Contributed byJaume Ollé, 5 November 2000
![[Flag of India]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=https%3a%2f%2fflagspot.net%2fflags%2f..%2fimages%2fi%2fin%21plain.gif)
byŽeljko Heimerand Ivan Sache, 14 February 2007
In New Delhi in August 2001 I did not notice any flag of interest, but Indiannational flags without the chakra hoisted on poles in the center of the city.Was this a way to circumvent the [old] law prohibiting private use of thenational flag?
Ivan Sache, 17 January 2002
According to "The Daily Times" (Karachi, Pakistan), 14 December 2005, theParliament of India has adopted on 12 December 2005 a new law to protect thenational flag and ban its uses deemed insulting. The use of the national flag onunderwear or on any other clothing worn below the belt shall be forbidden.However, sports figures and others can wear India’s green, white and orangenational colours on T-shirts, caps and coats. The legislation makes it illegalto “insult” national symbols by displaying them on clothes and accessories wornbelow the belt or on underwear. The legislation also makes it illegal toembroider national symbols on
pillow cases and handkerchiefs.
Source:www.dailytimes.com.pk
Ivan Sache, 30 December 2005
![[Detail of Chakra]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=https%3a%2f%2fflagspot.net%2fflags%2f..%2fimages%2fi%2fin_chakr.gif)
byŽeljko Heimer
based onAlbum des Pavillons (2000)
This was also the early Indian Air Force marking, according toCochrane and Elliott (1998) in the period1947-48, and was used together with the fin flash using a square(ish) verticaltricolour of orange-white-green (orange to front).
Željko Heimer, 11 November 2001
The Chakra on the National Flag was officially defined at 75% of the whitestripe in 1947 (taken from specifications issued by the Indian StandardsInstitution), but according to William Crampton (1993) this has largely beenignored in practice ever since. To quote from Dr Crampton's notes: "...inpractice the Chakra occupies 98% of the white stripe (or thereabouts)", and thespec he drew up shows it at exactly that.
Christopher Southworth, 23 May 2004