The Founding Symbols — Flag, Emblem, Anthem, Song
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National Flag — Tiranga
A horizontal tricolour of India saffron (top), white (middle) and India green (bottom) in equal proportion, with a navy-blue Ashoka Chakra of 24 spokes centred on the white band. Adopted by the Constituent Assembly on 22 July 1947, a few weeks before Independence, and designed by Pingali Venkayya. Saffron stands for courage and sacrifice, white for truth and peace, green for faith and prosperity; the Chakra represents the eternal wheel of law (Dharma Chakra), taken from the Sarnath Lion Capital. The Flag Code of India, 2002 governs its display; the length-to-height ratio is 3:2.
National Emblem (State Emblem of India)
An adaptation of the Lion Capital of Ashoka at Sarnath (3rd century BCE), adopted on 26 January 1950 — the day India became a Republic. It shows four Asiatic lions standing back to back on an abacus carrying a galloping horse, a bull, an elephant and a lion separated by wheels, with the Dharma Chakra at the centre of the official rendering. Only three lions are visible in the emblem; the fourth is hidden from view, and the bell-shaped lotus of the original Sarnath capital was dropped. The motto "Satyameva Jayate" ("Truth alone triumphs"), drawn from the Mundaka Upanishad, is inscribed below it in Devanagari.
National Anthem
"Jana Gana Mana," written and composed by Rabindranath Tagore, originally in Bengali (1911), adopted by the Constituent Assembly on 24 January 1950. The full version takes about 52 seconds to play; the short version (first and last lines) about 20 seconds.
National Song
"Vande Mataram," written by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, first appearing in his 1882 novel Anandamath. Given equal status with the National Anthem by the Constituent Assembly on 24 January 1950. It was a rallying cry of the freedom movement, first sung publicly at the 1896 session of the Indian National Congress.
| Symbol | Adopted | Key name |
|---|---|---|
| National Flag | 22 July 1947 | Pingali Venkayya (designer) |
| National Emblem | 26 January 1950 | Lion Capital of Ashoka, Sarnath |
| National Anthem | 24 January 1950 | Jana Gana Mana — Tagore |
| National Song | 24 January 1950 | Vande Mataram — Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay |
Exam trap: The flag was adopted in 1947, but the emblem, anthem and song were all fixed on the two consecutive days of 24–26 January 1950. Question-setters routinely swap these dates between symbols.