Latest news with #TrystwithDestiny


Time of India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Happy Independence Day 2025: 30+ Wishes, Images, Quotes, Messages, Cards, Greetings, Pictures and GIFs
"At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom," Jawaharlal Nehru had said in his iconic 'Tryst with Destiny' speech on August 15, 1947, thus announcing India's Independence. And since then, August 15 is celebrated as India's Independence Day. It is a great when patriotism is in the air and people remember the selfless sacrifices of hundreds and thousands of freedom fighters who gave their lives for their country. Independence Day is a day of great pride for every Indian. It is also a day to celebrate India's unity in diversity, and a day for reflection and honouring the sacrifices of countless freedom fighters who fought for the country's sovereignty. The day begins with the Prime Minister hoisting the national flag at the Red Fort in Delhi, followed by the National Anthem and a speech addressing the nation's achievements and future goals. Across India, schools, offices, and communities hold flag-hoisting ceremonies, cultural performances, and patriotic programs. Streets and homes are decorated with the tricolor, symbolising courage, peace, and prosperity. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Discover Options For Affordable Back Pain Treatments Back Pain Treatment | Search Ads Undo Independence Day is both a celebration of freedom and a reminder of our responsibility to uphold democracy, equality, and national unity. As we celebrated India's 79th Independence Day today, here we list some wishes, images, quotes, messages, cards, greetings, pictures and GIFs to share with your loved ones on this joyous occasion: Independence Day 2025: Wishes, Messages, Greetings 1. Happy Independence Day 2025! 2. On this joyous day, let us honour the courage and sacrifice of those who gave us freedom. 3. This Independence Day, let's pledge to contribute to the growth of our nation in every way we can. 4. Freedom is a gift earned through sacrifice — let's cherish it forever. Jai Hind! 5. May the tricolor always wave high, reminding us of our unity and strength. Happy Independence Day! 6. Independence is not just about freedom, it's about responsibility. Let's protect it. 7. Let's work for a nation where equality and justice prevail. Happy Independence Day! 8. On this day, let's remember our heroes and strive to be worthy of their sacrifice. 9. The best tribute we can give to our freedom fighters is to keep India united and strong. 10. Freedom brings opportunity — let's make the most of it for our country's progress. 11. Let's keep the spirit of patriotism alive in our hearts on this joyoud day. Happy Independence Day! 12. Wishing you and your loved ones a joyful Independence Day filled with pride and gratitude. 13. Let's celebrate our freedom with love for our country and respect for each other. 14. May this day remind us of our roots and inspire us to create a better future. 15. Freedom is our shared heritage — let's protect and nurture it together. 16. Happy Independence Day 2025! Jai hind! 17. This Independence Day, let us pass on the legacy of love, peace, and unity to the next generation. 18. Today we celebrate not just freedom, but the bonds that unite us as one India. 19. May your heart be filled with pride as we honor our nation today. 20. Let us remember the brave souls who gave us a free land to call home. Happy Independence Day 2025! Jai hind! 21. Wishing you a day of reflection, gratitude, and celebration. 22. Let's keep our nation's spirit strong by standing together in unity. Independence Day 2025: Quotes 1. "The achievement we celebrate today is but a step, an opening of opportunity, to the greater triumphs and achievements that await us."- Jawaharlal Nehru 2. "Let us not pray to be sheltered from dangers but to be fearless when facing them."- Rabindranath Tagore 3. "The freedom of the mind is the proof of one's soul."- Lala Lajpat Rai 4. "Service without humility is selfishness and egotism." – Mahatma Gandhi 5. "Freedom and power bring responsibility. The responsibility rests upon this Assembly, a sovereign body representing the sovereign people of India."- Jawaharlal Nehru 6. "Give me blood, and I shall give you freedom."- Subhas Chandra Bose 7. "They may kill me, but they cannot kill my ideas."- Bhagat Singh 8. "Every citizen of India must remember that he is an Indian and he has every right in this country but with certain duties."- Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel 9. "Swaraj is my birthright, and I shall have it."- Bal Gangadhar Tilak 10. "We are Indians, firstly and lastly."- Dr. BR Ambedkar 11. "We should have but one desire today — the desire to die so that India may live."- Subhas Chandra Bose 12. "The sword of revolution is sharpened on the whetting stone of ideas."- Bhagat Singh 13. "The problem is not the lack of resources or capability, but the lack of will."- Bal Gangadhar Tilak 14. "Manpower without unity is not a strength unless it is harmonized and united properly."- Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel 15. "Cultivation of mind should be the ultimate aim of human existence."- Dr. B.R. Ambedkar 16. "Democracy is good. I say this because other systems are worse." – Jawaharlal Nehru Independence Day 2025: Images, Pictures, Cards Nadia: A girl gets her face painted with tricolour on the eve of Independence Day, in Nadia. (PTI Photo)(PTI08_14_2025_000314B) Prayagraj: Students during Independence Day celebration at a school, in Prayagraj. (PTI Photo)(PTI08_14_2025_000320A) Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly building illuminated in tricolour on the eve of Independence Day, in Lucknow. (PTI Photo/Nand Kumar)(PTI08_14_2025_000344A) Celebrate the 79th Independence Day 2025 with pride and patriotism by sharing heartfelt Instagram captions, WhatsApp status, and Facebook posts. Mark this special day with inspiring quotes, slogans, and messages that honour our nation's freedom and unity. Independence Day 2025: GIFs Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Happy Independence Day wishes, messages , and quotes !


The Hindu
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Dive deeper into the history of India's lesser-known freedom fighters this Independence Day, with exhibition Hamaara Itihaas Archives of Freedom Fighters (HIAFF) in Delhi
Seventy-eight years ago, as the clock ticked towards midnight on August 14, India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru announced the country's independence with an iconic speech, Tryst with Destiny, at Parliament House. In the Art Gallery of Kamaladevi Complex at India International Centre, New Delhi, before I examine the exhibition, Hamaara Ithihaas Archives Of Freedom Fighters, I engage in a surreal study of my proximity with time and space from where I stand, physically and existentially. It leads me to juxtapose the distance of four-and-a-half kilometres from Parliament House and the nearly eight decades from 1947. Surrounded by the maze of achromatic and sepia-toned portraits of revolutionaries — who chose to kiss the gallows over bootlicking the British colonisers — and the copies of newspapers that spoke truth to the powers that be, Nehru's words come to mind: 'At this solemn moment when the people of India, through suffering and sacrifice, have secured freedom…'. A peculiar installation, with a charpoy placed atop another charpoy and the Tricolour tied to one of its corners, catches my attention. As I point my phone's camera to click, a guard shouts out: 'Pictures not allowed'. 'I can give you a tour of the place, if you like,' says Sagari Chhabra, who introduces herself as the founder-director of Hamaara Itihaas Archives of Freedom Fighters (HIAFF). I am now a spectator to her demonstration, between contemplating the meaning of freedom and wrestling with the idea of sections in which the retrospective has been organised. The idea of the exhibition, says Sagari, is 'to create a record of the known and unknown freedom fighters, in India and across the world. There was virtually no or little record of the work done by women freedom fighters. So, we have a special focus on our women freedom fighters. The purpose is to educate and inspire the new and coming generations.' Coming from Punjab, my eyes look for Ghadarite Gulab Kaur's picture amidst portraits of Kartar Singh Sarabha and others, especially because Punjab Lok Sabhyacharak Manch — Punjab's cultural organisation for social change and activism — is observing 2025 as the centenary year of Gulab's death. But I am rushed to other sections that depict the works of revolutionaries who fought for India from foreign shores. Sagari lists names after names: 'International freedom fighters: Shyamji Krishna Varma, SR Rana. Other revolutionaries abroad: Taraknath Das, Bhupendra Dutt, Ajit Singh — uncle of Bhagat Singh. A special section on Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, Rajguru, and women who helped them: Durga Devi Vohra aka Durga Bhabhi, Sushila Mohan aka Sushila Didi….' And then shares: 'There is a special section on Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose's Indian National Army, based in South-East Asia with a particular focus on the Rani of Jhansi Regiment, one of the earliest all-woman military regiments of the world.' Sourced from Arkib Negara, the National Archives of Malaysia; National Archives, Singapore; National Archives of India; Prime Minister's Museum And Memorial Library; and some original recordings of HIAFF, Sagari informs that nearly three decades of research has gone into curating the retrospective. 'The archive contains oral testimonies, photos, audio, video, and film recordings across India, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Myanmar. It displays photos and documents from London, Paris, Geneva, Stuttgart, San Francisco and other places, showing that India's freedom struggle was both revolutionary and non-violent. It contains rare documents of the paper, Bande Mataram and Talvar started by Madam Bhikaiji Cama and the Ghadar Party based in Vancouver and San Francisco,' she adds. As for the charpoy and Tricolour installation, Sagari coaxes me to look on the other side of the wall against which the installation is placed. It has pictures of several women. 'They raised the flag from inside the Lahore Women's Jail in 1942,' she informs, pointing at the interview of Bibi Amar Kaur, one of the protesters from the jail, playing on the screen from her documentary, Asli Azaadi. 'The courage and sacrifice of our freedom fighters, most of whom have gone unsung and unrecognised, deserves to be recorded,' she states in the press communiqué. The exhibition will be on view till August 23 at the Art Gallery, Kamaladevi Complex, India International Centre, 40 Max Mueller Marg, New Delhi; from 11am to 7pm.


Time of India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
"Happy Independence Day 2025: 100+ Wishes, Images, Messages, Quotes, Pictures, and Greeting Cards for 15 August"
It was on August 15, 1947, when after decades of struggle, revolt, and protests against the British Raj by Indians, that our country finally attained freedom and became an Independent nation. The historic moment was announced by freedom fighter Jawaharlal Nehru-- who went on to become the first Prime Minister (PM) of Independent India. "At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom," Jawaharlal Nehru said in his iconic speech 'Tryst with Destiny'. "A moment comes, which comes but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new, when an age ends, and when the soul of a nation, long suppressed, finds utterance," he further said sharing the news of India finally becoming free from the British Rule. And so, every year, August 15 is celebrated as India's Independence Day . On August 15, 1947, the first PM of India- Nehru- addressed the nation from the Red Fort in New Delhi. Following this tradition, each year the then PM addresses the country marking another year of being an Independent nation. Apart from this, Independence Day is a day of pride, unity, and remembrance, honouring the sacrifices of countless freedom fighters. The celebrations begin with the Prime Minister hoisting the national flag at the Red Fort in Delhi, followed by the National Anthem and inspiring speeches. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Watching Her Walk the Aisle? Explore Classic Dress Styles TheDaddest Undo Across the country, schools, offices, and communities hold cultural programs, parades, and flag-hoisting ceremonies. Independence Day is not just a celebration of freedom, but also a reminder of the responsibilities that come with it — to preserve democracy, uphold justice, and work for India's progress. As we celebrate the 79th Independence Day of India this year today, here we list some wishes, messages, quotes, images, pictures and greeting cards you can send to your friends and family to wish them on this joyous occasion. You can also post them on social media or use them Whatsapp stories. Independence Day 2025: Wishes, Messages For colleagues 1. Wishing you a Happy Independence Day 2025! Let's work together to build a stronger and brighter India. 2. May the spirit of freedom inspire us to achieve excellence in everything we do. Happy Independence Day! 3. Wishing my amazing team a day filled with pride, joy, and unity. Happy Independence Day! 4. Let's celebrate this day by committing ourselves to honesty, dedication, and progress. Happy Independence Day! 5. May our nation continue to prosper with the efforts of hardworking citizens like you. Happy Independence Day! 6. Proud to be working alongside someone who shares the same love for our nation. Happy Independence Day! 7. Let's keep the tricolor flying high in our hearts and our work. Happy Independence Day! 8. May we all contribute towards the growth of our beautiful country. Happy Independence Day 2025! 9. Here's to a future filled with innovation and unity. Happy Independence Day! 10. Let's remember our past, work hard in the present, and build a glorious future. Happy Independence Day! For friends 11. Happy Independence Day! Let's celebrate the freedom that allows us to dream and live without fear. 12. Wishing you a day full of pride and joy as we honor our nation's freedom. 13. Freedom is a gift; let's cherish it with all our hearts. Happy Independence Day! 14. Here's to dancing, laughing, and celebrating under the colors of our flag. 15. Wishing my dear friend a Happy Independence Day filled with pride and gratitude. 16. Let's make this day about togetherness, happiness, and love for our country. 17. Cheers to the freedom that lets us be who we are! Happy Independence Day! 18. Let's celebrate this day remembering the heroes who made it possible. 19. Happy Independence Day! May our friendship be as strong as our nation's spirit. 20. Together we stand, together we grow — Happy Independence Day! For family 21. Happy Independence Day to my wonderful family! Proud to share this country and this life with you. 22. May this Independence Day remind us of the values we were raised with — unity, respect, and love. 23. Let's celebrate the freedom our forefathers fought for. Happy Independence Day! 24. Wishing my family a day full of pride, joy, and gratitude for our nation. 25. Our nation is strong because families like ours pass on its values. Happy Independence Day! 26. May our children inherit a nation as beautiful as our dreams. 27. Wishing you peace, happiness, and freedom this Independence Day! 28. Today is about remembering our roots and celebrating our future. 29. Happy Independence Day! Let's cherish this gift of freedom together. 30. Proud to be part of a family that loves this country deeply. General (for anyone) 31. Happy Independence Day 2025! Let's honor the sacrifices that brought us freedom. 32. Today we celebrate not just independence, but unity, peace, and progress. 33. May the tricolor always fly high in our hearts. Happy Independence Day! 34. Freedom is priceless; let's protect it with all our might. 35. Happy Independence Day! Let's work for the betterment of our beloved country. 36. Proud to be an Indian today and every day! 37. Let's make our nation proud with our actions. Happy Independence Day! 38. This day is a reminder of how far we've come and how far we can go. 39. Celebrate freedom, cherish unity, and embrace diversity. 40. Wishing you a Happy Independence Day filled with pride and hope. Inspirational 41. Happy Independence Day! Let's be the change we wish to see in our country. 42. Freedom comes with responsibility — let's honor it every day. 43. May this Independence Day inspire us to make our nation stronger. 44. Let's rise above differences and work for the nation's glory. 45. Happy Independence Day! Our future depends on our actions today. 46. A free nation is built on the dreams of its people — keep dreaming big! 47. Let's pledge to protect our freedom at all costs. 48. May unity and peace guide our path forward. 49. Happy Independence Day! Our diversity is our strength. 50. Together, let's create a future worthy of our sacrifices. Short messages 51. Jai Hind! Happy Independence Day! 52. Proud to be an Indian — today and always. 53. Freedom is our birthright — Happy Independence Day! 54. Three cheers for freedom! Jai Hind! 55. Happy Independence Day! Keep the tricolor flying high. 56. United we stand, proud we remain. 57. Saluting our heroes today and always. 58. Freedom is a blessing — never forget it. 59. Jai Bharat! Happy Independence Day! 60. Celebrating India, celebrating us. Independence Day 2025: Quotes 61. "The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others."- Mahatma Gandhi 62. "If yet your blood does not rage, then it is water that flows in your veins." – Chandra Shekhar Azad 63. "A country's greatness lies in its undying ideals of love and sacrifice." – Sarojini Naidu 64. "Patriotism is devotion to a country, not to its government." – Bankim Chandra Chatterjee 65. "Freedom is the open window through which pours the sunlight of the human spirit." – Herbert Hoover 66. "Even if I die in service of the nation, I would be proud." – Sardar Bhagat Singh 67. "Citizenship consists in the service of the country."- Jawaharlal Nehru 68. "Freedom is not worth having if it does not include the freedom to make mistakes."- Mahatma Gandhi 69. "Give me blood, and I shall give you freedom."- Subhas Chandra Bose 70. "They may kill me, but they cannot kill my ideas."- Bhagat Singh 71. "Be the change that you wish to see in the world."- Mahatma Gandhi 72. "Life loses half its interest if there is no struggle — if there are no risks to be taken."- Subhas Chandra Bose 73. "The service of India means the service of the millions who suffer."- Jawaharlal Nehru 74. "Revolution is an inalienable right of mankind."- Bhagat Singh 75. "Take to the path of dharma — the path of truth and justice."- Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel 76. "We are Indians, firstly and lastly."- Dr. B.R. Ambedkar 77. "Swaraj is my birthright, and I shall have it."- Bal Gangadhar Tilak 78. "The essence of true patriotism lies in the love for one's country and its people."- Annie Besant 79. "Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high."- Rabindranath Tagore 80. "The shots that hit me are the last nails to the coffin of British rule in India."- Lala Lajpat Rai 81. "In a gentle way, you can shake the world."- Mahatma Gandhi 82. "The future depends on what you do today."- Mahatma Gandhi 83. "Time is not measured by the passing of years but by what one does, what one feels, and what one achieves."- Jawaharlal Nehru 84. "We should have but one desire today — the desire to die so that India may live."- Subhas Chandra Bose 85. "It is easy to kill individuals but you cannot kill the ideas."- Bhagat Singh 86. "Every citizen of India must remember that he is an Indian and he has every right in this country but with certain duties."- Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel 87. "It is our duty to pay for our liberty with our own blood."- Subhas Chandra Bose 89. "A moment comes, which comes but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new."- Jawaharlal Nehru 90. "One individual may die for an idea, but that idea will, after his death, incarnate itself in a thousand lives."- Subhas Chandra Bose 91. "The sword of revolution is sharpened on the whetting stone of ideas."- Bhagat Singh 92. "Work is worship, and it is our duty to serve the nation."- Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel 93. "Manpower without unity is not a strength unless it is harmonized and united properly."- Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel 94. "Cultivation of mind should be the ultimate aim of human existence."- Dr. B.R. Ambedkar 95. "Caste, community will rapidly disappear. We have to speedily forget all these things."- Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel 96. "The problem is not the lack of resources or capability, but the lack of will."- Bal Gangadhar Tilak 97. "Religion and practical life are not different. To take sanyas is not to renounce life."- Bal Gangadhar Tilak 98. "Swaraj is the sum total of self-reliance and self-respect."- Bal Gangadhar Tilak 99. "No one is wise by birth, for wisdom results from one's own efforts."- Annie Besant 100. "The future depends entirely on what each of us does every day."- Annie Besant 101. "Political democracy cannot last unless there lies at the base of it social democracy."- Dr. B.R. Ambedkar 102. "Faith is the bird that feels the light and sings when the dawn is still dark."- Rabindranath Tagore 103. "A nation's culture resides in the hearts of its people."- Lala Lajpat Rai Images, Pictures, Greeting Cards Celebrate the 79th Independence Day 2025 with pride and patriotism by sharing heartfelt Instagram captions, WhatsApp status, and Facebook posts. Mark this special day with inspiring quotes, slogans, and messages that honour our nation's freedom and unity. Prayagraj: Students during Independence Day celebration at a school, in Prayagraj. (PTI Photo)(PTI08_14_2025_000320A) Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Happy Independence Day wishes, messages , and quotes !


India.com
2 days ago
- General
- India.com
Did you know the Tricolour was hoisted far from Delhi's Red Fort on the morning of August 15 1947? it took place at...
August 15, 1947, was the day India was reborn as a free nation. People across the country celebrated with joy, waving the national flag and marking the end of British rule. For the first time, the tricolour became the proud symbol of an independent India. But what many are not aware that the very first official flag hoisting on Independence Day did not take place in Delhi. Instead, it took place in a different city. On the morning of August 15, 1947, at around 5:30 a.m., as the first rays of the sun lit up the sky, India's first official flag hoisting took place at Fort St. George in Chennai (then called Madras). This was the same place where the British had set up their biggest headquarters in South India. For this historic moment, a special tricolour was made, 12 feet long and 8 feet wide, crafted from silk. Independence and the transfer of power were not limited to Delhi alone; they were happening across the nation at the same time. Raising the tricolour at the British stronghold in the south became a powerful symbol of India's freedom. This historic flag is still preserved in the Fort Museum in Chennai. It is kept in a special airtight glass case to protect it from damage over time, with silica gel placed nearby to maintain its condition. When was the Tricolour first hoisted at the Red Fort? Although the Prime Minister hoists the tricolour at the Red Fort every Independence Day now, this was not the case in 1947. On August 15, 1947, India's first Prime Minister, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, raised the national flag at Princess Park near India Gate in Delhi. That same night, he delivered his historic 'Tryst with Destiny' speech at the Parliament House. It was only on August 16, 1947 that Nehru went to the Red Fort and unfurled the Tricolour there. He delivered his first Independence Day speech and called himself the 'Pratham sevak' of India. Since then, it has become a tradition for the Prime Minister to unfurl the flag and address the nation from the Red Fort every year on August 15.
&w=3840&q=100)

First Post
2 days ago
- Politics
- First Post
History Today: Why August 15 was picked as India's Independence Day
India celebrates its Independence Day on August 15 each year, remembering the day in 1947 when the country gained freedom from British rule after nearly 200 years. Louis Mountbatten, the last British governor-general of India, was authorised to hand over power by June 30, 1948. However, he moved the date forward and chose August 15, 1947, as the day British rule would end Jawaharlal Nehru, India's first prime minister, delivers his famous 'Tryst with Destiny' speech on August 15, 1947, at Parliament House in New Delhi. AFP/File Photo Every year on August 15, India celebrates the historic occasion in 1947 when the country gained independence from British rule after nearly 200 years. This year, India observes its 79th Independence Day. On this day, people across the country remember and pay tribute to the freedom fighters and their sacrifices. In 1947, on this very day, Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru hoisted the national flag from the Red Fort in Delhi and delivered his famous 'Tryst with Destiny' speech. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Since then, the sitting Prime Minister has continued the tradition of unfurling the flag at the monument and addressing the nation. India's first Independence Day was celebrated on August 15, 1947. But who chose this date? If you are a history geek who loves to learn about important events from the past, Firstpost Explainers' ongoing series, History Today, will be your one-stop destination to explore key events. Let's clear this up and look at some other historical events that took place on this day: Why August 15 was chosen as India's Independence Day After years of struggle, the British Parliament finally decided to grant India its freedom. It authorised Louis Mountbatten, the last British governor-general of India, to transfer power to the country by June 30, 1948. However, with communal tensions rising and law and order deteriorating, Mountbatten brought forward the date to August 1947. He gave two reasons for this decision. First, he said he wanted to avoid further bloodshed and riots. Second, he chose August 15 as it marked the second anniversary of Japan's surrender in the Second World War. Lord Mountbatten, Lady Edwina Mountbatten, and Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru witness the raising of the Indian tricolour for the first time at India Gate in New Delhi. AFP/File Photo In the book 'Freedom at Midnight', Mountbatten is quoted as saying, 'The date I chose came out of the blue. I chose it in reply to a question. I was determined to show I was the master of the whole event. When they asked if we had set a date, I knew it had to be soon. I hadn't worked it out exactly then — I thought it had to be about August or September, and I then went out to August 15. Why? Because it was the second anniversary of Japan's surrender.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Notably, after intense fighting between the Allied and Axis powers, Japan (an Axis power) surrendered following the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. On August 15, 1945, Emperor Hirohito told his people that the country would no longer take part in the war. Based on Mountbatten's recommendation, the Indian Independence Bill was introduced in the British House of Commons on July 4, 1947. It was passed within two weeks and declared that British rule in India would end on August 15, 1947, with the creation of two dominions: India and Pakistan. India's freedom was the result of the efforts of leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Bhagat Singh, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Jawaharlal Nehru, Subhas Chandra Bose, Chandra Shekhar Azad, and many others. Jawaharlal Nehru addressing the nation from the Red Fort on August 15, 1947. Image Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons Today, the occasion is celebrated across the country with cultural events, social service activities and the lighting up of national monuments. People hold cultural programmes and seminars to honour the freedom fighters who gave their lives for the nation's independence. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Today in 1975: Sholay hit the screens Also on this day in 1975, one of the most iconic films in Indian cinema, Sholay, was released, coinciding with Independence Day. Directed by Ramesh Sippy, the film is regarded as one of the greatest Hindi movies ever made. Its cast included Amitabh Bachchan, Dharmendra, Jaya Bachchan, Hema Malini, Sanjeev Kumar and Amjad Khan. Sholay was released on August 15, 1975. Image: News18/File Photo On release, it shattered all box office records and became the highest-grossing Indian film of 1975. This Day, That Year 1960: The Republic of the Congo achieved independence from France. 1971: Bahrain declared independence from the United Kingdom. 1998: A car bomb in Omagh, Northern Ireland, killed 29 people and injured more than 200. 2021: The Taliban seized control of Kabul after US forces withdrew from Afghanistan.