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Where Only India's Prime Minister Can Hoist The National Flag: The Secrets Of Red Fort's Lahori Gate Revealed
New Delhi: Historic Red Fort hosts flag hoisting ceremony every year on August 15 to mark India's Independence Day anniversary. Prime minister unfurls the tricolor from its Lahori Gate. This tradition is unique because only the Prime Minister of India can hoist the national flag from this iconic gate. The Lahori Gate holds stories that span from the era of slavery to India's freedom struggle. Here are five lesser-known tales connected to this landmark.
The name Lahori Gate dates back to the Mughal era. This gate marked the starting point of the road that led directly to Lahore, now part of Pakistan. During Mughal times, royal processions used this route, making the gate a symbol of Delhi's grandeur and power. This historical connection explains why the gate carries the name of Lahore.
History tells us that the British ruled India for nearly 200 years. After brutally suppressing the 1857 revolt, the British hoisted their Union Jack at the Lahori Gate, holding the country in colonial chains. This place became a symbol of oppression.
Today, it stands as the site where the Indian flag waves proudly, representing freedom and dignity.
Netaji's Dream Fulfilled in 1947
On October 21, 1943, following the formation of the Azad Hind government led by Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, there was a dream to hoist the INA flag at the Red Fort. Though that dream remained unfulfilled then, the freedom struggle marched on.
India finally gained independence in 1947, and Netaji's vision was realised when the Indian flag was raised at the Lahori Gate.
Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru became India's first prime minister. On August 15, 1947, he hoisted the tricolor for the first time at the Lahori Gate and addressed the nation. This tradition continues to this day, marking the beginning of Independence Day celebrations every year.
Since independence, the honour of hoisting the flag at Lahori Gate has been reserved exclusively for the prime minister and only once a year, on August 15. The ceremony is accompanied by a 21-gun salute, filling the entire nation with pride. These salutes are fired from the nearby cannons using blank rounds that produce sound and smoke but no actual projectiles.
These untold stories of the Lahori Gate remind us of India's journey from slavery to freedom, symbolised by the flag fluttering high each Independence Day.
