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The Flag of India. The colours are saffron, white and green. Photo by User: SKopp on

11 Sensational Facts about the Indian Flag

India’s national flag, also called the Tricolor, is a horizontal rectangular tricolor of India saffron, white and Indian green. The flag has a chakra (wheel) in navy blue at its center.

The current flag was adopted during a meeting of the constitute Assembly held in July 22, 1947, and it became the official flag of the dominion of India in August 15, 1947.

The flag is made of khadi, made popular by Mahatma Gandhi. The manufacturing process and specifications for the flag were laid by the Bureau of India Standards (BIS).

The khadi Development and Village Industries Commission hold the right to manufacture the flag. As of 2009 the Kamataka khadi Gramodyoga Samyukta Sangha has been the sole manufacturer of the flag.

Learn more about the Indian flag in these 11 sensational facts

1. The Flag was Designed by Pingali Venkayya

Pingali venkayya designed the present form of the Indian flag. He was an Indian freedom fighter, agriculturalist, educator and Staunch follower of Mahatma Gandhi.

In July 14, 1947, the Indian National Congress adopted the Pingali flag and made a suitable modification to make it acceptable to all parties and communities. It was agreed that the flag should not have any communal undertones.

The spinning wheel of the congress flag was replaced by the chakra (wheel) from the lion capital of Ashoka. The chakra represented Dharma and law.

The flag served as the national flag of the Dominion of India between August 13,1947 and January 26, 1950, and has served as the flag of the Republic of India since then.

2. The Indian Flag Rule on Clothing

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The Indian national flag was not allowed to be used on other clothing or costumes until recently. Amendment of the code in 2005 allowed the flag to be used on a certain form of clothing.

The new amendment of the code in 2005 states that the Indian flag can only appear above the waist on any clothing. It also restricts embroidering on pillowcases, handkerchiefs, or dress materials.

3. The Rules and Regulation of the Manufacturing Process of the Indian Flag

The design and manufacturing process for the national flag is regulated by three documents issued by the Bureau of India Standards (BIS).

All Indian flags are made out of khadi silk or cotton cloth. The standards were created in 1968 and were updated in 2008. They are nine standard sizes of the flag specified by law.

The first specification for the flag was brought in 1951 by the Indian standard institute (now BIS), revised in 1964 and further amended In August 17, 1968.

The specification covers all the essential requirements of the manufacture of the Indian flag, including sizes, color, age, chromatic values, brightness, thread count and hemp cordage.

All the guidelines are colored under civil and criminal law and effects in the manufacturing process can result in punishment, including fines and jail terms.

4. The is a Specific Material Used for the Flag

The material used is traditionally khadi or hand-sup cloth. Flying a flag made of other material is punishable by law with imprisonment of up to three years besides a fine.

The raw materials for khadi are restricted to cotton, silk and wool. Two types of khadi are used in the manufacturing of the flag. The first is khadi-bunting, which makes the body of the flag, and khadi-duck, a beige-colored cloth that holds the flag to the pole.

Khadi-duck is woven and is obtained from two hand 100m units in the Dharwad and Bagalkot district of northern Karnataka. Currently, Karnataka khadi Gramodyoga Samyukta Sangha, based in Hubli, is the only licensed flag production and supply in India.

In December 2021, the government of India amended the flag code to allow machine manufacturing of the flag and alternative materials such as polyester, non-khadi cotton, or silk.

5. The Significance of the Indian Flag

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The initial flag of India had three colors red, green and white. Red represented all the Hindus, green the Muslims and White all other communities.

The colors were later changed into green, white and saffron. Saffron represents courage and sacrifice; white represents truth and purity, and the green represents prosperity.

The chakra (wheel) placed at the flag’s center represents progress in the nation. Some people say that it represents the laws of Dharma.

6. The Indian Largest Flag

The largest Indian national flag is hoisted every year. The flag is 21*14 feet. This large flag is neither hoisted at the Rash trapati Shawan nor by the Indian Army.

The flag is hoisted at the Mantralaya located in Mumbai. The Manatralaya is the state administrator’s headquarters and can be seen at the top of the building.

7. The Right to Hoist the Indian Flag

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Today the flag can be hoisted by anybody irrespective of their social status. This was made possible by Naveen Jindal. Earlier, the flag code didn鈥檛 permit private citizens to hoist the Indian flag unless it was during Independence Day or republic day.

Industrialist Naveen Jindal appealed against this code in the Delhi high court in 2001. He argued that every citizen of India had the right to hoist the flag to be able to express love for their country.

The union cabinet upheld his argument and amended the code of the Indian National Flag in 2002. This amended code gave all citizens the liberty to hoist the flag as long as it鈥檚 done with honor and respect.

8. The Indian Flag is Flown Half-Mast as a Sign of Mourning

The flag is flown half-mast during mourning. This decision lies with the president of India, who decides the period of such mourning.

When it’s flown half-mast, first it raised to the top and then slowly lowered. Only the Indian flag is flown half-mast; all others remain at normal height.

9. The Indian Flag in Space

The Indian national flag has completed its first trip to space. The flag reached space for the first time in 1971 aboard Apollo 15.

The second trip to space for the Indian national flag was in the form of a medallion on the spacesuit of the wing commander Rakesh Sharma in 1984.

10. The Evolution of the Indian Flag

For the flag to attain its current look, it had changed since 1906 when it was designed. The Tiranga was first hoisted in Parsee square, which is in Kolkata.

During its first hoist, it had red, green and yellow as its color, and it had the words 鈥� Vande Matram鈥� written on it. From that day to 1947, many changes have been made to the flag.

11. The Indian Flag Dimensions and Positioning

The flag has a predetermined ratio that needs to be adhered to. The code states that it should have a ratio of 2:3. The length of the flag should be 15 times the width of it. All three stripes have to be equal in size and breadth.

During any public gathering or meeting, it’s always placed to the speaker’s right, and the audience present will thus see the flag to the left. The flag to the right displays authority and respect.