NATIONAL SYMBOLS OF INDIA

National Calendar of India

Month	Number of days	Start date (Gregorian)
Chaitra	30*	March 22
Vaisakha	31	April 21
Jyaistha	31	May 22
Asadha	31	June 22
Sravana	31	July 23
Bhadra	31	August 23
Asvina	30	September 23
Kartika	30	October 23
Agrahayana	30	November 22
Pausa	30	December 22
Magha	30	January 21
Phalguna	30	February 20

*In a leap year Chaitra has 31 days. 

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: (1) Gazette of India, (2) News broadcast by All India Radio, (3) Calendars issued by the Government of India (4) Government communications addressed to the members of public.

Dates of the national calendar have a permanent correspondence with dates of the Gregorian calendar: 1 Chaitra falls on 22 March normally and on 21 March in leap year.

Indian National Tree (Banyan Tree)

            

 The banyan tree is an Indian fig tree, Ficus Bengalensis, whose branches root themselves like new trees over a large area. The roots then give rise to more trunks and branches. Because of this characteristic and its longevity, this tree is considered immortal and is an integral part of the myths and legends of India. Even today, the banyan tree is the focal point of village life and village council meets under the shade of this tree.

 

National Flower of India (Lotus)

The lotus or waterlily 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 symmetrical pattern. The foot functions are carried out by rhizomes that fan out horizontally through the mud below the water. Lotuses, prized for their serene beauty are delightful to behold as their blossoms open on the surface of a pond. In India, the sacred lotus is legendary and much folklore and religious mythology is woven around it.

 

National Song of India

The song, Vande Mataram, composed in Sanskrit by Bankimchandra Chatterji, was a source of inspiration to the people in ther struggle for freedom. It has an equal status with Jana-Gana-Mana. The first political occasion when it was sung was the 1986 session of the Indian National Congress.

Vande Mataram appears in the Bengali novel Anand Math. According to Bhavan’s book, Vande Mataram  by Moni Bagchee (pg.66), “Bankim Chandra composed the song in inspired moment, Rabindranath sang it by setting a tune to it and it was left to the genius of Aurobindo to interpret the deeper meaning of the song out of which India received the philosophy of new Nationalism.”

Lyrics:

Vande mataram

Vande mataram

Sujalaam sufalaam malayaj sheetalaam

Sasyashyaamalaam maataram

Vande mataram

Shubhrajyotsna pulakit yaaminiim

Phulla kusumita drumadal shobhiniim

Suhaasinim sumadhura bhaashhinim

Sukhadaam varadaam

Mataram

Vande mataram

India’s National Bird (Peacock)

India’s national bird is Peacock. Male bird of species P. cirstatus is a native of India with striking plumage and upper tail converts marked with iridescent ocelli able to expand its tail erect like fan as ostentatious display. Peacocks are related to pheasants. Found wild in India (and also domesticated in villages), they live in forest lands near water. They were once bred for food but hunting of peacocks is banned in India. The peahen has no plumage. These birds do not sound as beautiful as they look and they have a harsh call.

National Anthem of India

Jana-Gana-Mana, the anthem, 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. It was sung on December 1911 at Calcutta session of the Indian National Congress. The complete song consists of five stanzas. Playing time of the full version of the National Anthem is approximately 52 seconds. A short version consisting of first and last lines of the stanza (playing time approximately 20 seconds) is also played on certain occasions. The lyrics were rendered in English by Tagore himself.

Lyrics:

Jana-gaṇa-mana adhināyaka jaya he
Bhārata bhāgya vidhātā
Pañjāba Sindhu Gujarāṭa Marāṭhā
Drāviḍa Utkala Baṅga
Vindhya Himācala Yamunā Gaṅgā
Ucchala jaladhi taraṅga
Tava śubha nāme jāge
Tava śubha āśiṣa māge
Gāhe tava jaya gāthā
Jana gaṇa maṅgala dāyaka jaya he
Bhārata bhāgya vidhāta
Jaya he, jaya he, jaya he
Jaya jaya jaya, jaya he.

National Flag of India

The National Flag of India is a horizontal tricolour in equal proportion of deep saffron on the top, white in the middle and dark green at the bottom.  The ratio of the width to the length of the flag is two is to three. In the center of the white band there wheel in navy blue to indicate the Dharma Chakra, the wheel of law in Sarnath Lion Capital. This center symbol or the ‘Chakra’ is a Buddhist symbol dating back to 200^th century BC. Its diameter approximates the width of the white band and it has 24 spokes, which intends to show that there is life in movement and death in stagnation. The saffron stands for courage, sacrifice and the spirit of renunciation; the white, for purity and truth; the green for faith and fertility. The design of the National Flag was adopted by India’s Constituent Assembly on 22^nd July, 1947. Its use and display are regulated the Indian Flag Code.

 

India’s National Emblem

The national emblem of India is a replica of the lion of Sarnath near Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh. The lion capital was erected in the third century BC by Emperor Ashoka to mark the spot where Buddha first proclaimed his gospel of peace and emancipation to the four quarters of the universe. The national emblem is thus symbolic of contemporary India’s reaffirmation of its ancient commitment to world peace and goodwill.

The four lions (one hidden from view) – symbolising power, courage and confidence – rest on a circular abacus. The abacus is girded by smaller animals – guardians of four directions: The Lion of the north, the Elephant of the east, the Horse of the south and Bull of the west. The abacus tests on a lotus in full bloom exemplifying the fountain head of life and creative inspiration.

 

India’s national animal (Tiger)

India’s national animal is large Asiatic carnivorous feline quadruped, Panthera Tigris, maneless, of tawny yellow colour with blackish transverse stripes and white belly, proverbial for its power and its magnificence. There are very few tigers left in the world today. A decade ago the tiger population in India had dwindled to a few hundreds. The Government of India, under its Project Tiger programme started a massive effort to preserve the tiger population. Today, thanks to Project Tiger, India’s tiger population has considerably increased.

 

India’s National Fruit (Mango)

Mango is a fleshy fruit, eaten ripe or used green for pickles etc., of the tree Mangifera indica. The mango is one of the most important and widely cultivated fruits of the tropical world. Its juicy fruit is a rich source of Vitamins A, C and D. 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. So did the Chinese pilgrim Hieun Tsang. Akbar planted 100,000 mango trees in Darbhanga, known as Lakhi Bagh.

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