National Flag & Emblem

• The National Flag is a horizontal tricolour of:
  Deep saffron (kesaria) 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 wheel which represents the chakra.
• The top Saffron colour, indicates the strength and courage of the country.
• The White middle band indicates peace and truth with Dharma Chakra.
• This Dharma Chakra depicted the “Wheel of the Law” in the Sarnath Lion Capital made by the 3rd-century BC Mauryan Emperor Ashoka.
• Its diameter approximates to the width of the white band and it has 24 spokes.
• The chakra intends to show that there is life in movement and death in stagnation.
• The green shows the fertility, growth and auspiciousness of the land.
• The design of the National Flag was adopted by the Constituent Assembly of India on 22 July 1947.

State Emblem

• The State Emblem is an adaptation from the Sarnath Lion Capital of Ashoka.
• In the state emblem, adopted by the Government of India on 26 January 1950, three lions are visible, the fourth being hidden from view.
• The wheel appears in relief in the centre of the abacus with a bull on right and a horse on left
• The words Satyameva Jayate from Mundaka Upanishad, meaning ‘Truth Alone Triumphs’, are inscribed below the abacus in Devanagari script.

Suggested Class Activity:

Discuss in class- the Vedic Injunction “Sathyam Vada Dharmam Chara”, show the students, the picture of National
Flag and State Emblem and bring out the association between these National Symbols and this Vedic injunction.