|
| GOVERNMENT
>> NATIONAL INFORMATION |
 |
I N D I A
The land of colours and of dreams. The land of varied cultures and rich
traditions. The land whose very name evokes visions of snow capped peaks, gushing rivers
and fertile plains. Of the many things that reflect India's myriad moods are parched
deserts and palm-fringed beaches, verdant fields and rugged mountain passes, cooling
breezes and hot winds.To know more about India, please select from the choices given
below. |
|
|
|
NATIONAL FLAG |
 |
The national flag is a horizontal tricolour of deep saffron (kesari) at the top, white in
the middle and dark green at the bottom in equal proportion. The ratio of width of the
flag to its length is two to three. In the centre of the white band is a navy blue charkha
or the wheel which appears on the abacus of the Sarnath Lion Capital of Ashoka. Its
diameter approximates to the width of the white band and it has 24 spokes. The design of
the national flag was adopted by the Constituent Assembly of India on July22, 1947. Its
use and display are regulated by the Indian Flag Code. |
|
|
TOP
NATIONAL ANTHEM |
| The song, Jana-gana-mana, composed originally in Bengali by
Rabindranath Tagore, was adopted in its Hindi version by the Constituent Assembly as the
National Anthem of India on January 24, 1950. It was first sung on December 27, 1911 at
the Calcutta session of the Indian National Congress. The complete song consists of five
stanzas. The first stanza contains
the full version of the National Anthem:
Jana-gana-mana-adhinayaka,
jaya he,
Bharata-bhagya-vidhata.
Punjab-Sindh-Gujarat-Maratha,
Dravida-Utkala-Banga,
Vindhya-Himachala-Yamuna-Ganga Uchchala-Jaladhi-taranga.
Tava shubha name jage, Tava shubha asisa 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 playing time of the full
version of the national anthem is approximately 52 seconds. A short version consisting of
first and last lines of the stanza (playing time approximately 20 seconds) is also played
on certain occasions.
The following is Tagore's
English rendering of the anthem: Thou art the ruler of the minds of all people, dispenser
of India's destiny. Thy name rouses the hearts of Punjab, Sind, Gujarat and Maratha, of
the Dravida and Orissa and Bengal; It echoes in the hills of the Vindyas and Himalayas,
mingles in the music of Jamuna and Ganges and is chanted by the waves of the Indian Sea.
They pray for thy blessings and sing thy praise. The saving of all people waits in thy
hand, thou dispenser of India's destiny. Victory, victory, victory to thee.
|
|
TOP
NATIONAL SONG |
| The song, Vande Mataram, composed in Sanskrit by Bankimchandra Chatterji,
was a source of inspiration to the people in their struggle for freedom. It has an equal
status with Jana-gana-mana. The first political occasion when it was sung was the 1896
session of the Indian National Congress. The following is the
text of its first stanza:
Vande Mataram!
Sujalam, suphalam, malayaja shitalam,
Shasyashyamalam, Mataram!
Shubhrajyothsna pulakitayaminim,
Phullakusumita drumadala shobhinim,
Suhasinim sumadhura bhashinim,
Sukhadam varadam, Mataram!
The English
translation of the stanza rendered by Sri Aurobindo in prose 1 is: I bow to thee, Mother,
richly-watered, richly-fruited, cool with the winds of the south, dark with the crops of
the harvests, 1 As published in Volume Eight of Sri Aurobindo Birth Centenary Library
Popular Edition 1972 National Symbols 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. |
TOP
NATIONAL SYMBOL |
|
The
National Symbol is an adaptation from the Sarnath Lion Capital of Emperor Ashoka,
who ruled from 272 BC to 232 BC. In the original pillar, there are four lions, standing
back to back, mounted on an abacus with a frieze carrying sculptures in high relief of an
elephant, a galloping horse, a bull and a lion separated by intervening wheels over a
bell-shaped lotus. Carved out of a single block of polished sandstone, the Capital is
crowned by the Wheel of Law (Dharma Chakra). In the State Emblem adopted by the Government of India on January 26 1950,
only three lions are visible, while the fourth is hidden from view. The wheel appears in
relief in the centre of the abacus with a bull on right and a horse on left, and the
outlines of the other wheels on the extreme right and left.
The bell-shaped lotus has been omitted.
The words Satyameva Jayate from Mundaka Upanishad, meaning 'Truth Alone Triumphs', are
inscribed below the abacus in Devanagari script. |
|
TOP
NATIONAL ANIMAL |
|
The magnificent
tiger, Panthera tigris (Linnaeus), is a striped animal. It has a thick yellow coat of fur
with dark stripes. The combination of grace, strength, agility and enormous power has
earned the tiger its pride of place as the national animal of India. Out of eight races
of the species known, the Indian race - the Royal Bengal Tiger - is found throughout the
country except in the north-western region, and also in the neighbouring countries, Nepal,
Bhutan and Bangladesh. To check the dwindling population of tigers in India 'Project
Tiger' was launched in April 1973.
So far, 23
tiger reserves have been established in the country under this project, covering an area
of 33,126 sq.kms., where an estimated 3000 tigers now roam free. |
|
TOP
NATIONAL BIRD |
|
The Indian peacock,
Pavo cristatus (Linnaeus), the national bird of India, is a colourful, swan-sized bird,
with a fan-shaped crest of feathers, a white patch under the eye and a long, slender neck.
The
male of the species is more colourful than the female, with a glistening blue breast and
neck, and a spectacular bronze-green train of around 200 elongated feathers. The female is
brownish, slightly smaller than the male, and lacks the train. The elaborate courtship
dance of the male, fanning out the tail and preening its feathers is a gorgeous sight.
The peacock
is widely found in the Indian sub-continent from the south and east of the Indus river,
Jammu and Kashmir, east Assam, south Mizoram and the whole of the Indian peninsula. The
peacock enjoys immense protection. It is fully protected under the Indian Wildlife
(Protection) Act, 1972.
TOP |
|
|
| Bharat
: Government | National Info | States &
UT's | History
| Geography Media : Newspapers | Magazines | Radio | Television |Wap | Trends | Links Sports : Cricket | Tennis | Golf | Adventure Sports Business
: Credit
Cards | Tax | Banks | NSE |
BSE Arts & Culture
: Art | Culture | Dance | Jewellery | Theatre
| Music
| Tradition
| Festivals | Photo Gallery |
Vaastu Bharatiya Bhojan | Jokes | Hot Jobs | STD Codes | Get Distance
| Automobiles | Flight-Timings
| Train-Timings |
|
© 2000 V&K Softech Limited. All Rights Reserved. |
|
|
|
|
