Happy Birthday, India!
It’s the 15th of August, Indian Independence Day, and today, I figured I’d write a little post about something which is close to every Indian’s heart: our National Flag.
The Triranga, as its name suggests, is a horizontal tricolour with a wheel in the middle, and believe it or not, every single feature of this flag signifies the core beliefs and the very essence of being Indian.
The bands of the flag are deep saffron at the top, white in the middle and green at the bottom.
The saffron (Kesari) colour of the flag indicates the strength and courage of the country. The white colour, containing the Ashok Chakra, symbolizes peace and truth while the green represents the fertility, growth and auspiciousness of the land. The Ashok Chakra is a blue wheel with 24 spokes.
Now, some time ago, I quizzed some of my friends and family on what the wheel of the Indian flag and its spokes signifies. A few of them seemed to think that the spokes stood for the different states of India.
This is, in fact, not true! The 24 spokes of the Ashok Chakra, or the Dharma Chakra, represents the 24 qualities of a person. In order, they are as follows:
1. Chastity: Inspires a person to live a simple life
2. Health: To be healthy in both body and mind
3. Peace: Maintain peace & harmony throughout the country
4. Sacrifice: To be ready for any sacrifice for the sake of the country and society
5. Morality: Maintain a high morality in professional and personal life
6. Service: To be prepared to the serve country and society when needed
7. Forgiveness: A feeling of forgiveness towards humans and other creatures
8. Love: To love the country and all creatures created by God
9. Friendship: To have a cordial relation with all the citizens
10. Fraternity: To develop a sense of brotherhood in the country
11. Organization: To strengthen the unity and integrity of the nation
12. Welfare: Participate in welfare activities related to the country and society
13. Prosperity: Actively participate in the development of the country
14. Industry: To assist the country in its industrial progress
15. Safety: Always be ready to protect the country
16. Awareness: To be aware of the truth and not believe in rumours
17. Equality: Establish a society based on equality
18. Artha: Optimum utilization of money
19. Policy: To have faith in the country's policy
20. Justice: Believe in justice for all
21. Co-operation: Working together
22. Duties: To obey one’s duties honestly
23. Rights: To not abuse one’s rights
24. Wisdom: To have knowledge beyond books
With such moral values representing our nation, is there really any doubt about why we Indians are grounded on Earth and like to live a simple life?
Happy Independence Day! Jay Hind!
