Political map of India
Indian National Flag
National Flag: The Indian flag was designed as a symbol of freedom.
The late Prime Minister Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru called it a flag not only of freedom for
ourselves, but a symbol of freedom to all people. The flag is a horizontal tricolour in
equal proportion of deep saffron (kesari) 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
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. The saffron stands for courage, sacrifice and the spirit of
renunciation; the white, for purity and truth, the green for faith and fertility.The
Constituent Assembly adopted the design of the National Flag on 22 July 1947.
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Indian National Emblem
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 four smaller animals - guardians of the
four directions: the lion of the north, the elephant of the east, the horse of the south
and the bull of the west. The abacus rests on a lotus in full bloom, exemplifying the
fountainhead of life and creative inspiration. The motto "Satyameva Jayate"
inscribed below the emblem in Devanagari script means "truth alone triumphs".
The Government of lndia adopted the Lion Capital as the National Emblem on 26 January
1950.
Indian National Song - Vande MataramThe song Vande Mataram was composed by Bankimchandra
Chatterji, is a source of inspiration. The following is the text of its first stanza:
Vande Mataram! Sujalam, suphalam, malayaja shitalam, Shasyashyamalam, Mataram!
Shubhrajyotsna pulakitayaminim, Phullakusumita drumadala shobinim, Suhasinim sumadhura
bhashinim, Sukhadam varadam, Mataram!
National Anthem: The tune played on this page is that of our national anthem .
JANA-GANA-MANA-ADHINAYAKA, JAYA HE
BHARATA-BHAGYA-VIDHATA
PUNJABA-SINDHU-GUJARATA-MARATHA-
DRAVIDA-UTKALA-BANGA
VINDHYA-HIMACHALA-YAMUNA-GANGA
UCCHHALA-JALADHI TARANGA
TAVA SUBHA NAME JAGE
TAVA SUBHA ASHISHA MAGE
GAHE TAVA JAYA GATHA.
JANA-GANA-MANGALA DAYAKA, JAYA HE
BHARATA-BHAGYA-VIDHATA,
JAYA HE, JAYA HE, JAYA HE,
JAYA JAYA JAYA, JAYA HE
The following is a translation of Rabindranath Tagore's rendering of the stanza:
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.
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.
Bankim (Chandra Chatterjee's) Vande Mataram, which was a source of
inspiration to the people in their struggle for freedom has an equal ststus with the
National anthem.
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Composed by Bankim Chandra, this song
appears in the Bengali novel Anand Math. The
English translation of Vande Mataram rendered by Shree Aurobindo, is considered to be the "official" and
best. According to Bhavan's book, Vande Mataram by Moni Bagchee (pg.
66),
"Bankin Chandra composed the song in an 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."
Here is the entire song. Only first
two stanza of this song are considered to be national song. (Did you know that even Jana
Gana Mana...is much longer, and that only first two stanzas are recognized as National
Anthem) In fact, I find some of the later stanza much more powerful and
inspirational. Please note, only translation is by Shree Aurobindo. |
| Entire Text of Vande Mataram |
VANDE MATARAM
SUJALAM SUPHALAM
MALAYAJA SEETALAM
SASYA SHAMALAAM MATARAM
VANDE MATARAM
SHUBRA JYOTSNAA
PULAKITA YAMINIM
PULLAKUSUMITA
DRUMADALA SHOBHINIM
SUBHASHINIM
SUMADHURA BHASHINIM
SUKHADAAM VARADAAM
MATARAM
VANDE MATARAM
KO TI KO TI KAN THA
KALAKALANINAADA
KARALE KO TI KO TI BHUJAI
RDHR^ITAKHARA KARAVAALE
ABALAA KENO MAA ETO BALE
BAHUBHALADHARINIM
NAMAAMI TAARINIM
RIPUDALA VARINIM
MATARAM
VANDE MATARAM
TUMI VIDYAA, TUMI DHARMAA
TUMI HRIDI, TUMI MARMA
TUM HI PRANAAH SHARIIRE
BAHUTE TUMI MAA SHAKTI
HRIDAYA TUMI MAA BHAKTI
TOMARAA I PRATIMAA GADI
MANDIRE MANDIRE
TVAM HI DURGAA
DASHA PRAHARA NADHAARINI
KAMALA KAMALADALA VIHARINI
VANI VIDHYADAYINI NAMAAMI TVAM
NAMAAMI KAMALAAM,
AMALAAM, ATULAAM
SUJALAAM SUPHALAAM MATARAM
VANDE MATARAM
SHYAMALAAM SARALAAM
SUSMITAAM BHUUSHITAAM
DHARANIM BHARANIM
MATARAM
VANDE MATARAM
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Mother, I bow to thee!
Rich with thy hurrying streams,
bright with orchard gleams,
Cool with thy winds of delight,
Dark fields waving Mother of might,
Mother free. Glory of moonlight dreams,
Over thy branches and lordly streams,
Clad in thy blossoming trees,
Mother, giver of ease
Laughing low and sweet!
Mother I kiss thy feet,
Speaker sweet and low!
Mother, to thee I bow.
Who hath said thou art
weak in thy lands
When the sword flesh out in the seventy million
hands
And seventy million voices roar
Thy dreadful name from shore to shore?
With many strengths who art mighty and
stored,
To thee I call Mother and Lord!
Though who savest, arise and save!
To her I cry who ever her foeman drove
Back from plain and Sea
And shook herself free.
Thou art wisdom, thou art
law,
Thou art heart, our soul, our breath
Though art love divine, the awe
In our hearts that conquers death.
Thine the strength that nervs the arm,
Thine the beauty, thine the charm.
Every image made divine
In our temples is but thine.
Thou art Durga, Lady and
Queen,
With her hands that strike and her
swords of sheen,
Thou art Lakshmi lotus-throned,
And the Muse a hundred-toned,
Pure and perfect without peer,
Mother lend thine ear,
Rich with thy hurrying streams,
Bright with thy orchard gleems,
Dark of hue O candid-fair
In thy soul, with jewelled
hair
And thy glorious smile divine,
Lovilest of all earthly lands,
Showering wealth from well-stored hands!
Mother, mother mine!
Mother sweet, I bow to thee,
Mother great and free! |
| Sanskrit
Script of Vande Mataram |
Tamil Version of Vande Mataram |
|
National Animal - Tiger: 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 hundred. 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 population of tigers is in a comfortable position.
National Bird - Peacock: Male Bird of species P. cristatus, 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 jungle
lands near water. They were once bred for food but now hunting of peacocks is banned in
India. The peahen has no plumage.
National Flower - 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 a symmetrical pattern. The root
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 Tree - Banyan: 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 the village council meets under the shade of
this tree.
National Fruit - Mango: 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, as did the Chinese pilgrim Hieun Tsang.
Akbar planted 100,000 mango trees in Darbhanga, known as Lakhi Bagh.
The National Calendar
A uniform 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. The dates of the National Calendar have a permanent correspondence with the
dates of the Gregorian Calendar;
| GREGORIAN |
Saka date& month |
Days in the month |
| 21/ 22 March |
1 Chaitra |
30/ 31 |
| 21 April |
1 Vaishakha |
31 |
| 22 May |
1 Jyaishtha |
31 |
| 22 June |
1 Asadha |
31 |
| 23 July |
1 Sravana |
31 |
| 23 August |
1 Bhadra |
31 |
| 23 October |
1 Kartika |
30 |
| 22 November |
1 Agrahayana |
30 |
| 22 December |
1 Pausa |
30 |
| 21 January |
1 Magha |
30 |
| 20 February |
1 Phalguna |
30 |
India, with an area of 3.3 million sq. km, is a subcontinent. The peninsula is
separated from mainland Asia by the Himalayas. The country lies between 8° 4' and 37° 6'
north of the Equator and is surrounded by the Bay of Bengal in the east, the Arabian Sea
in the west and the Indian Ocean to the south.
The Himalayas form the highest mountain range in the world, extending 2,500 km over
northern India. Bounded by the Indus river in the west and the Brahmaputra in the east,
the three parallel ranges, the Himadri, Himachal and Shivaliks have deep canyons gorged by
the rivers flowing into the Gangetic plain.
Climate: The Himalayan range in the north acts as the perfect meteorological
barrier for the whole country. Despite the country's size and its varied relief, the
seasonal rhythm of the monsoon is apparent throughout. Although much of northern India
lies beyond the tropical zone, the entire country has a tropical climate marked by
relatively high temperatures and dry winters.
India is a country with probably the largest and most diverse mixture of races. All the
five major racial types - Australoid, Mongoloid, Europoid, Caucasian and Negroid - find
representation among the people of India, who are mainly a mixed race.
The people of India belong to diverse ethnic groups. At various periods of India's long
history, successive waves of settlers and invaders including the Aryans, Parthians, Greeks
and Central Asians came into the country and merged with the local population. This
explains the variety of racial types, cultures and languages in India.
Languages
India has about 15 major languages and 844 different dialects. The Sanskrit of the
Aryan settlers has merged with the earlier Dravidian vernaculars to give rise to new
languages.
Hindi spoken by about 45 per cent of the population is the national language. English
has also been retained as a language for official communication.
Religions
Hinduism: The Hindu religion had its origin in the concepts of the early Aryans who
came to India more than 4,000 years ago. It is not merely a religion but also a philosophy
and a way of life. It does not originate in the teachings of any one prophet or holy book.
It respects other religions and does not attempt to seek converts. It teaches the
immortality of the human soul and three principal paths to ultimate union of the
individual soul with the all pervasive spirit.
The essence of Hindu faith is embodied in the Lord's Song, the Bhagavad Gita: "He
who considers this(self) as a slayer or he who thinks that this(self) is slain, neither
knows the Truth. For it does not slay, nor is it slain. This (self) is unborn, eternal,
changeless, ancient, it is never destroyed even when the body is destroyed."
Jainism and Buddhism: In the sixth century before Christ, Mahavira propagated
Jainism. His message was asceticism, austerity and non-violence.
At about the same time, Buddhism came into being. Gautama Buddha, a prince, renounced
the world and gained enlightenment. He preached that "Nirvana" was to be
attained through the conquest of self. Buddha's teachings in time spread to China and some
other countries of South-East Asia.
Islam: Arab traders brought Islam to South India in the seventh century. After
them came the Afghans and the Moghuls, among whom the most enlightened was the Emperor
Akbar. Akbar almost succeeded in founding a new religion Din-e-Elahi, based on both
Hinduism and Islam, but it found few adherents.
Islam has flourished in India through the centuries. Muslim citizens have occupied some
of the highest positions in the country since independence in 1947. India today is the
second largest Muslim country in the world, next only to Indonesia.
Sikhism: Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism in the 15th century, stressed the
unity of God and the brotherhood of man. Sikhism, with its affirmation of God as the one
supreme truth and its ideals of discipline and spiritual striving, soon won many
followers. It was perhaps possible only in this hospitable land that two religions as
diverse as Hinduism and Islam could come together in a third, namely Sikhism.
Christianity: Christianity reached India not long after Christ's own lifetime,
with the arrival of St. Thomas, the Apostle. The Syrian Christian Church in Southern India
traces its roots to the visit of St. Thomas. With the arrival of St. Francis Xavier in
1542, the Roman Catholic faith was established in India. Today, Christians of several
denominations practice their faith freely.
Zoroastrianism: In the days of the old Persian Empire, Zoroastrianism was the
dominant religion in West Asia, and in the form of Mithraism, it spread over vast areas of
the Roman Empire, as far as Britain.
After the Islamic conquest of Iran, a few intrepid Zoroastrians left their homeland and
sought refuge in India. The first group is said to have reached Diu in about 766 A.D.
Their total world population probably does not exceed 130,000. With the exception of
some 10,000 in Iran, almost all of them live in India, the vast majority concentrated in
Mumbai. The Parsees excel in industry and commerce, and contribute richly to the
intellectual and artistic life of the nation.
Judaism: Jewish contact with the Malabar Coast in Kerala, dates back to 973 BC
when King Solomon's merchant fleet began trading for spices and other fabled treasures.
Scholars say that the Jews first settled in Cranganore, soon after the Babylonian conquest
of Judea in 586 BC. The immigrants were well received and a Hindu king granted to Joseph
Rabban, a Jewish leader, a title and a principality.
One India
" Is there anything like one India ".
A strange question, one would say, about a nation which was once known as the golden India
to whose doorsteps came travellers, seekers and traders in search of knowledge, of
spiritual enlightenment, and even of wealth.
India, the home of great people personalities and the seat of a mighty civilization.
India is as vast as a continent and so diverse that a superficial view is bound to be
bewildered.
" The immense peninsula exhibits within its bounds every variation of climatic
conditions that can be found on the face of the earth. It seas, and mountains, it's arid
deserts and fertile lands, it's hill and dales, plains and plateaus, rivers and lakes, its
inexhaustible store of varied mineral and forest wealth, its numerous species of birds and
animals, its men and women who in colour and physique, in language and manners, in
religious customs and beliefs, in their degree of development and culture represent
humanity from one end of the scale to the other and may well justify the statement that
India is an epitome of the whole earth ".
India Is One (edition 1983) Sri Aurobindo Society, Pondicherry
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