National symbols of India

Pavo cristatus (Indian Peafowl or Peacock) with outspread plumes, National Bird.

The Republic of India has several official national symbols including a historic document, a flag, an emblem, an anthem, a memorial tower as well as several national heroes. All the symbols were picked up at various times. The design of the national flag was adopted by the Constituent Assembly just before independence, on July 22, 1947.^[1] There are also several other symbols including the national animal, bird, flower and tree.^[2]

National symbols

Official symbols

Title	Symbol	Picture	Notes
Father of the Nation	Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi[3]		First used by Subhas Chandra Bose in a radio address from Singapore in 1944. Recognized by the Indian government.
National flag	Flag of India (Indian Tricolour)		A horizontal tricolour of saffron at the top, white in the middle, and green at the bottom. In the centre is a navy blue wheel with twenty-four spokes, known as the Ashoka Chakra
National emblem	National Emblem of India (Lion Capital of Asoka)		It was adopted as the National Emblem of India on 26 January 1950, the day that India became a republic. The Emblem also consists the motto of India - "Satyam-eva Jayate" in Devnagari Script, which means "Truth Alone Triumphs"
National calendar	Indian national calendar (Saka calendar)		The calendar was introduced by the Calendar Reform Committee in 1957, as part of the Indian Ephemeris and Nautical Almanac, which also contained other astronomical data, as well as timings and formulae for preparing Hindu religious calendars, in an attempt to harmonise this practice. Despite this effort, local variations based on older sources such as the Surya Siddhanta may still exist. Usage officially started at Chaitra 1, 1879 Saka Era, or March 22, 1957. However, government officials seem to largely ignore the New Year's Day of this calendar in favour of the religious calendar.
National anthem	Jana Gana Mana by Rabindranath Tagore		Jana Gana Mana was officially adopted by the Constituent Assembly as the Indian national anthem on January 24, 1950.
National Language	None		The official language of the Indian Union is Hindi with English as an additional language for official work;[4] states in India can legislate their own official languages.[4] Neither the Constitution of India, nor any Indian law defines any national language.[5]
National song	Vande Mataram by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay		Vande Mataram was rejected on the grounds that Muslims, Christians, Parsis, Sikhs, Arya Samajis and others who opposed idol worship felt offended by its depiction of the nation as "Mother Durga", a Hindu goddess. Muslims also felt that its origin as part of Anandamatha, a novel they felt had an anti-Muslim message. The designation as "national song" predates independence, dating to 1937. At this date, the Indian National Congress discussed at length the status of the song. It was pointed out then that though the first two stanzas began with an unexceptionable evocation of the beauty of the motherland, in later stanzas there are references where the motherland is likened to the Hindu goddess Durga. Therefore, INC decided to adopt only the first two stanzas as the national song.
National flower	Nelumbo nucifera (Nelumbo nucifera)[3]		The reason this flower was chosen is because in India, Lotus signifies that which keeps itself pure even when living in a rough environment.
National fruit	Mangifera indica (Mango)[3]		In India there are over 100 varieties of mangoes, in different sizes, shapes and colours. 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. Mughal emperor Akbar planted 100,000 mango trees in Darbhanga, Bihar at a place now known as Lakhi Bagh.
National river	Ganges[3]
National tree	Ficus bengalensis[3] (Indian Banyan or Indian Fig Tree)
National animal	Royal Bengal Tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) [6]		The Bengal tiger can be found throughout the country except in the north-western region. [7] It has been a national symbol of India since about the 25th century BCE when it was displayed on the Pashupati seal of the Indus Valley Civilisation. On the seal, the tiger, being the largest, represents the Yogi Shiva's people.[31] The tiger was later the symbol of the Chola Empire from 300 CE to 1279 CE and is now designated as the official animal of India.
National aquatic animal	Gangetic Dolphin
National bird	Pavo cristatus[3] (Indian Peafowl)		The peacock is designated as the national bird of India and the provincial bird of the Punjab (India).
National Reptile	Ophiophagus hannah (King Cobra)
National Heritage Animal	Elephas maximus (Elephant)
National game	Field hockey
National Personification	Bharat Mata		Bhārat Mātā (Hindi, from Sanskrit भारत माता, Bhārata Mātā), Mother India, or Bhāratāmbā (from अंबा ambā 'mother') is the national personification of India as a mother goddess. She is usually depicted as a woman clad in an orange or saffron sari holding a flag, and sometimes accompanied by a lion.

References

1. ^ "National Portal of India". Government of India. http://india.gov.in/knowindia/national_flag.php. Retrieved 2008-11-04. 
2. ^ http://india.gov.in/knowindia/national_symbols.php
3. ^ ^{a b c d e f} "The Legend". Government of India. http://india.gov.in/knowindia/national_symbols.php. Retrieved 2007-11-29. 
4. ^ ^{a b} 1. Schwartzberg, Joseph E., 2007. Encyclopedia Britannica, India—Linguistic Composition. Quote: "By far the most widely spoken is Hindi, the country's official language, with more than 300 million speakers." 2. Oldenburg, Phillip. (1997-2007) Encarta Encyclopedia "India: Official Languages." Quote: "Hindi is the main language of more than 40 percent of the population. No single language other than Hindi can claim speakers among even 10 percent of the total population. Hindi was therefore made India’s official language in 1965. English, which was associated with British rule, was retained as an option for official use because some non-Hindi speakers, particularly in Tamil Nādu, opposed the official use of Hindi." 3. United Kingdom, Foreign and Commonwealth Office: India—Country Profile. Quote: "The official language of India is Hindi written in the Devanagari script and spoken by some 30% of the population as a first language. Since 1965 English has been recognised as an 'associated language'." 4. UNESCO: Education for All—The Nine Largest Countries Quote: "Hindi is the language of 30% of the population and the official language of India." 5. United States Library of Congress, Federal Research Division, Country Profile: India Quote: "Languages: Hindi is the official language and the most commonly spoken, but not all dialects are mutually comprehensible. English also has official status and is widely used in business and politics, although knowledge of English varies widely from fluency to knowledge of just a few words." 6 United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Country Profile: India Quote: "Hindi is constitutionally designated as the official language of India, with English as an associate official language."
5. ^ There's no national language in India: Gujarat High Court
6. ^ National Animal- Panthera tigris Panthera tigris tigris (Royal Bengal Tiger) is the national animal of India- Govt. of India website.
7. ^ National Animal- Panthera tigris Panthera tigris tigris (Royal Bengal Tiger) is the national animal of India- Govt. of India website.

External links

• National Symbols Govt. of India Official website.