Independence Day 2025: Decoding the Indian Flag, its meaning and the man behind it
The national flag stands at the heart of this celebration, representing courage, peace, and growth.
Each colour has its meaning: saffron stands for courage and sacrifice; white signifies peace and truth; green denotes fertility, growth and auspiciousness. The navy-blue Dharma Chakra (wheel of law) in the centre speaks to life in movement– stagnation is death. More than a piece of cloth, the flag reflects the spirit of India and the unity of its people, reminding us of the values we hold dear and the journey our nation has taken.
What the tricolour really stands for
We call it the Tiranga, or tricolour, because of its three bold stripes: saffron on top, white in the middle, and green at the bottom. These colours aren't just decorative– they carry a message. Saffron represents courage and sacrifice, white stands for peace and truth, and green signifies fertility, growth and auspiciousness. At the centre is the Ashoka Chakra, a navy-blue wheel with 24 spokes. More than a design, it represents the wheel of law, continuous progress, and the principle that life is movement.
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The first attempts at a national flag
The idea of a national flag predates independence. In 1904, Sister Nivedita, an Irish disciple of Swami Vivekananda, designed one of the earliest known Indian flags– a red-and-yellow banner featuring a thunderbolt (vajra), the symbol of strength, and the words Bonde Matoram (Bengali form of Vande Mataram). It was displayed at a Congress exhibition in 1906, according to Mint.
Pingali Venkayya
and the charkha flag
In 1921, Mahatma Gandhi asked Pingali Venkayya to design a flag that could represent the spirit of India.
Venkayya's version featured two colours with a charkha (spinning wheel) at the centre, symbolising self-reliance. This 'Swaraj flag' soon became a powerful emblem of the freedom movement.
The 1931 tricolour
By 1931, there was a call for a flag that would be acceptable to all communities. The Congress adopted a saffron-white-green tricolour with the charkha in the centre, clarifying that it had no communal meaning, as per newindiasamachar(dot)pib(dot)gov(dot)in.
This became the immediate forerunner of our present flag.
The final version: Adopted in 1947
As per newindiasamachar(dot)pib(dot)gov(dot)in, on 22 July 1947, just weeks before independence, the Constituent Assembly adopted the national flag in its current form. The colours remained unchanged, but the Dharma Chakra from the Ashoka at Sarnath replaced the charkha at the centre.
Why the chakra matters
The Ashoka Chakra, with its 24 spokes, sits in the middle of the white band. It represents the wheel of law (Dharma Chakra) and conveys that there is life in movement and death in stagnation. Its design is directly inspired by the stone wheel found on the Ashoka at Sarnath, dating back to the 3rd century BCE.
Images: Canva (for representative purposes only)
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