The Evolution of the Indian Flag: A Historical Overview

The Evolution of the Indian Flag:  In anticipation of the 78th Independence Day on August 15, the Ministry of Culture has shared a video on X (formerly Twitter) that shows the history of the Indian flag. The video, posted by PIB India, details how the flag changed over time from before India gained independence to its official design in 1947.

The Evolution of the Indian National Flag 🇮🇳

🔰1904 - The Flag was designed by Sister Nivedita

🔰1906 - During the Swadeshi and Boycott movement, a tri-color flag with Vande Mataram was hoisted in Calcutta

The Flag underwent several iterations in 1907, 1917, 1921 and 1931… pic.twitter.com/Z1iHxuS0wu

— PIB India (@PIB_India) August 14, 2024

The Flag’s Evolution The video walks us through the different stages of the Indian flag’s design, starting with the earliest versions used in the independence movement and leading up to the final version adopted in 1947.

Early Flag Designs

• 1904: Sister Nivedita designed the first Indian national flag.
• 1906: The first tricolour flag with the slogan "Vande Mataram" was introduced.
• 1906: Later that year, a new version of this flag was created with eight lotus flowers on it.
• 1907: Shyamji Krishna Varma, Madam Bhikaji Cama, and Veer Savarkar designed another version of the "Vande Mataram" flag.

Flags during Key Movements

• 1917: During the Home Rule Movement, Annie Besant and Bal Gangadhar Tilak adopted a flag with the Union Jack.
• 1921: Pingali Venkayya, inspired by Mahatma Gandhi, designed a new tricolour flag featuring a 'Charkha' (spinning wheel) in the center.

Official Flag Adoption

• 1931: A modified version of Pingali Venkayya’s design was adopted as the national flag.
• 1947: On August 15, the final version of the flag, which included the Ashoka Chakra, was officially adopted by the Constituent Assembly of India.

The Flag’s Significance

The first Indian national flag, which had red, yellow, and green colors, was raised on August 7, 1906, in Kolkata. The version closest to our current flag was designed by Pingali Venkayya in 1921 and featured red and green.

Also read: India's Independence: Is 2024 India’s 77th or 78th Independence Day?

In 1931, a tricolour flag with saffron, white, and green colors, along with Mahatma Gandhi’s spinning wheel, was adopted. After some more changes, including the addition of the Ashoka Chakra, the final version of the Indian flag was officially adopted on July 22, 1947, and first raised on August 15, 1947.