Sunday, August 7, 2011

Title

Symbol

Picture

Notes

Father of the Nation

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi[3]


First used by Subhas Chandra Bose in a radio address from Singapore in 1944. Recognized by the Indian government.

National flag

Flag of India (Indian Tricolour)

Flag of India.svg

A horizontal tricolour of saffron at the top, white in the middle, and green at the bottom. In the centre is a navy blue wheel with twenty-four spokes, known as the Ashoka Chakra

National emblem

National Emblem of India (Lion Capital of Asoka)

Emblem of India.svg

It was adopted as the National Emblem of India on 26 January 1950, the day that India became a republic. The Emblem also consists the motto of India - "Satyam-eva Jayate" in Devnagari Script, which means "Truth Alone Triumphs"

National calendar

Indian national calendar (Saka calendar)

The calendar was introduced by the Calendar Reform Committee in 1957, as part of the Indian Ephemeris and Nautical Almanac, which also contained other astronomical data, as well as timings and formulae for preparing Hindu religious calendars, in an attempt to harmonise this practice.

National anthem

Jana Gana Mana by Rabindranath Tagore

Janaganamana-score.png

Jana Gana Mana was officially adopted by the Constituent Assembly as the Indian national anthem on January 24, 1950.

National Language

Multi lingual.

"Hindi" is mentioned as an official language in the constitution of India. But Hindi is not the National language. A common misconception among many Indians. India specifies Hindi and English as official languages of the India de jure. Article 343 of the constitution specifies that the official language of the India is Hindi in Devanagari script.

National song

Vande Mataram by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay

Vande Mataram was rejected on the grounds that Muslims, Christians, Parsis, Sikhs, Arya Samajis and others who opposed idol worship felt offended by its depiction of the nation as "Mother Durga", a Hindu goddess.

National flower

Nelumbo nucifera (Nelumbo nucifera)[3]

Nelumno nucifera open flower - botanic garden adelaide2.jpg

The reason this flower was chosen is because in India, Lotus signifies that which keeps itself pure even when living in a rough environment.

National fruit

Mangifera indica (Mango)[3]

The Botanical Magazine. Mango.jpg

In India there are over 100 varieties of mangoes, in different sizes, shapes and colours. Mangoes have been cultivated in India from time immemorial. The poet Kalidasa sang its praises. Alexander savoured its taste, as did the Chinese pilgrim Hieun Tsang. Mughal emperor Akbar planted 100,000 mango trees in Darbhanga, Bihar at a place now known as Lakhi Bagh.

National river

Ganges[3]

National Treasure[4]

Fairy Queen (locomotive)[3]

Sunset on the Ganga river, Allahabad.jpg

60px

In 1972, the Indian government bequeathed heritage status to the engine, rendering it a national treasure.

National club

Mohun Bagan AC

Mb ac logo.png

is a sports club best known for its football team, based in the city of Kolkata, West Bengal. Mohun Bagan AC is one of the oldest football clubs in Asia, having been established on 15 August 1889.

National tree

Ficus bengalensis[3] (Indian Banyan or Indian Fig Tree)

Banyan botanical c1800-1830.jpg

National animal

Panthera tigris[3](Tiger)[7]

Panthera tigris tigris.jpg

The Bengal tiger has been a national symbol of India since about the 25th century BCE when it was displayed on the Pashupati seal of the Indus Valley Civilisation. On the seal, the tiger, being the largest, represents the Yogi Shiva's people.[31] The tiger was later the symbol of the Chola Empire from 300 CE to 1279 CE and is now designated as the official animal of India.

National aquatic animal

Gangetic Dolphin

GangeticDolphin.jpg

National bird

Pavo cristatus[3] (Indian Peafowl)

Peacock with outspread plumes.JPG

The peacock is designated as the national bird of India and the provincial bird of the Punjab (India).

National Reptile

Ophiophagus hannah (King Cobra)

King-Cobra.jpg

National Heritage Animal

Elephas maximus (Elephant)

Asian elephant - melbourne zoo.jpg

National Icon[8]

Hanuman langur

MNP Grey Langeurs family.JPG

National game

Field hockey

National Personification

Bharat Mata

Bhārat Mātā (Hindi, from Sanskrit भारत माता, Bhārata Mātā), Mother India, or Bhāratāmbā (from अंबा ambā 'mother') is the national personification of India as a mother goddess. She is usually depicted as a woman clad in an orange or saffron sari holding a flag, and sometimes accompanied by a lion.

National Motto

सत्यमेव जयते {Satyameva Jayate} {Sanskrit, Truth alone triumphs}

Emblem of India.svg

It is inscribed in Devanagari script at the base of the national emblem. The emblem is an adaptation of the Lion Capital of Asoka which was erected around 250 BCE at Sarnath, near Varanasi in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, but does not contain the motto.

National Colour

Sky Blue

Sky Blue.png

There is no particular national colour (There is no mention of national colour anywhere). But the flag code of India describes the significance of the colours of the flag.

National Airlines

Air India

Air India Logo.svg

National Days

26 January,15 August, 2 October

Agni-II missile (Republic Day Parade 2004).jpeg

26 January (Republic Day, becoming the first republic in the BritishCommonwealth of Nations 1950}, 15 August {Independence Day, from the British Empire1947}, 2 October {Birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, Father of the Nation}

National Poet[9]

Subramanya Bharathi

Subramanya Bharathi.jpg

National Monument

Taj Mahal

Taj Mahal in March 2004.jpg

National Legislative

Parliament of India

The Parliament of India (commonly referred to as the Indian Parliament) is the supreme legislative body in India. The Parliament alone possesses legislative supermecy and thereby ultimate power over all political bodies in India. The Parliament of India consists of the two houses and the President of India.

Unofficial symbols

Title

Symbol

Picture

Notes

National Dance[11]

Bharata Natyam

Bharata Natyam or Bharatanatyam (Tamil: பரதநாட்டியம்) is a classical dance form originating in Tamil Nadu, nowadays practiced throughout South India by predominantly young females and women. It is held as the national dance of India. The dance is accompanied by the classical Carnatic music. It has its inspirations from the sculptures of the ancient temple of Chidambaram.

National Dress

Dhoti, Kurta (male) and Sari (female)

National Epic

Mahabharata and Ramayana

National Sweet

Jalebi

National Mountain[13]

Nanda Devi

National Dish[14]

Thali, Roti, Curry, Dal, Papad, Raita, Idli

National Drink[15]

Tea

National In Instrument[16]

Veena

Semitonically fretted lute with a long, cylindrical shape, resting on two gourds

National Soup[17]

Mulligatawny

Curried lentil soup garnished with rice and chicken dices. Served with a wedge of lemon.

National Board Game[18]

Pachisi

Pachisi-real.jpg

Pachisi is a cross and circle board game that originated in ancient. It is played on a board shaped like a symmetrical cross. A player's pieces move around the board based upon a throw of six or seven cowrie shells, with the number of shells landing aperture upwards indicating the number of places to move.

National Stadium

Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium (Hindi: जवाहरलाल नेहरू स्टेडियम, Punjabi: ਜਵਾਹਰਲਾਲ ਨੇਹਰੁ ਸਟੇਡਿਯਮ,Urdu: جواہر لعل نہرو اسٹیڈیم) in Delhi, India, is a multipurpose sports arena hosting football and other sporting events, as well as large-scale entertainment events.