HYDERABAD: All Indians take pride in the national flag which was beautifully designed by Pingali Venkayya in tricolour with the Ashoka Chakra in the middle. We all know that saffron represents courage and sacrifice, white represents peace and truth and green respresents faith and chivalry and the spokes of the charkra represent the number of states at the time of its formations. July 22 was the day the national flag of India was adopted in its present form. City Express lists out a few lesser-known facts about it
It has to be designed only on khadi material
The flag has to be designed only on Khadi or hand-spun cloth. Hoisting a flag made of any other material is punishable by law with imprisonment up to three years, besides a fine. Raw materials for khadi are restricted to cotton, silk and wool.
When a foreign dignitary visits India
It is a rule that when a foreign dignitary travels in a car provided by the Government of India, the National Flag has to be flown on the right side of the car and the Flag of the foreign countries will be flown on the left side of the car.
Flag on clothes
According to the original flag code, use of the flag on uniforms, costumes and other clothing was forbidden. The law was amended on July 2005 when the Government of India amended the code to allow some forms of usage. The amended code forbids usage in clothing below the waist and on undergarments, and forbids embroidering onto pillowcases, handkerchiefs or other dress material.
Ashoka Chakra
The Ashoka Chakra or wheel which is seen in the middle of the flag is inspired by the Lion Capital of Ashoka. It is the wheel of the law of dharma. The Ashoka Chakra is screen printed, stenciled or suitably embroidered onto each side of the white cloth. While making it, care has to be taken that the chakra is completely visible and synchronised on both sides.
Flag on Mt. Everest and on board Apollo-15
Our flag was hoisted on Mt. Everest, the highest peak in the world, on May 29, 1953, along with the Union Jack and the Nepalese National flag. In 1971, the Indian flag, went into space on board Apollo-15. It flew into space as a medallion on the spacesuit worn by Cosmonaut Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma, during the Indo-Soviet joint space flight in April 1984.
Its make
The flag is supposed to be manufactured only by the khadi unit of Karnataka Khadi Gramodyoga Samyukta Sangha. It has been certified as the sole manufacturer and supplier of the Indian flag by The Khadi and Village Industries Commission. The organisation employees 100 specialist spinners and 100 weavers just to make the flag. The cloth is again sourced from KKGSS’s unit in Bagalkot and divided into three lots and each of the lots are to be dyed with one of the three major colours in the Indian flag.