Independence Day: India (15 August) History, Significance, Theme and Observation

Independence Day: India Quick Facts

Independence Day: India Brief

Every year 15 August is celebrated as Independence Day in India. It is the national festival of India. India got independence from British rule after almost 200 years on this day in 1947. It was on this day that it got Independence from British rule. Every year on this day the Prime Minister of India addresses the country from the ramparts of the Red Fort. On 15 August 1947, the first Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru, unfurled the Indian National Flag above the Lahori Gate of the Red Fort in Delhi.

How to celebrate Independence Day: India

The Independence Day program is organized every year at the national level at India Gate, New Delhi in which the flag is hoisted at the Red Fort by the Prime Minister of India and lakhs of people participate in the Independence Day celebrations.

On this day teachers, students, caretakers and everyone celebrate by raising the national anthem with flag hoisting. The tricolor flag is also hoisted by the Prime Minister of India at the Red Fort in Delhi. After this, the national flag is honored with a 21-gun salute by showering flowers on it from a helicopter. During the celebrations at the Red Fort, the flag hoisting and the national anthem are followed by a speech by the Prime Minister followed by a display of their might by the three Indian armies. In our tricolor flag, saffron represents courage and sacrifice, white color represents peace and truth, while green color represents faith and bravery.

There is an Ashoka Chakra in the middle of our tricolor in which there are 24 spokes. On this special occasion, we remember those great personalities of India who made important contributions for the independence of India. Along with this, many colorful programs are displayed such as presentation of their art and culture by the states of India through tableaux, cultural programs by school children etc.

Our freedom fighters got a lot of help due to Mahatma Gandhi's non-violence movement and got freedom from British rule on 15th August 1947 after a long struggle of 200 years. Thousands of patriots like Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Bhagat Singh, Sukhdeb, Rajguru, Lala Lajpat Rai, Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Chandrashekhar Azad made an important contribution to India's independence.

The hard struggle for independence acted as a catalyst which made every Indian united for their rights against the British rule, irrespective of religion, class, caste, culture or tradition. Even women like Aruna Asif Ali, Annie Besant, Kamala Nehru, Sarojini Naidu and Vijay Lakshmi Pandit left the hearth and played an important role in the freedom struggle.

More info about Independence Day: India

Interesting Facts about Indian Independence Day

1. Every year on 15th August, the Prime Minister of the country hoists the flag of the country at the Red Fort.
2. But on the first Independence Day of the country, the first Prime Minister of India, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, hoisted the tricolor on the Red Fort on 16 August 1947.
3. On 15 August 1947, about 32 crore people of India saw the sun of independence.
4. But along with the celebrations there was one thing of sadness on this day and that was the partition of India.
5. India had become two parts, one was India and the other was Pakistan.
6. Lord Mountbatten, the last Viceroy of India, called 15 August as the day of India's independence.
7. The last Viceroy of India, Lord Mountbatten, was to be included in the independence program of both India and Pakistan.
8. Therefore, the Viceroy Lord Mountbatten declared the Independence Day of Pakistan as 14th August and India's Independence Day as 15th August.
9. Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India, gave his famous speech 'Tryst with Destiny' on the midnight of 14 August, when he became the first Prime Minister of the country on the morning of 15 August.
10. Tricolor of India was first hoisted by Bhikaji Cama in German on August 22, 1907, but there was a slight difference between that tricolor but this tricolor and the national flag of India.
11. The flag of Bhikaji Cama had green color at the top, golden saffron in the middle and red color at the bottom, on this flag 'Vande Mataram' was written.
12. To ensure that the independence of the country remained stable, Dr. Rajendra Prasad had got the time of independence by seeing the Panchang from Ujjain's astrologer Suryanarayan Vyas.

And what happened on the 15th of August:

• It was on 15 August that the award of Vir Chakra, a medal of gallantry in war time in India, was announced.
• The postal pin was introduced in India on 15 August 1972.
• Color broadcasting on TV in India began with the speech of Indira Gandhi on 15 August 1982.
• Along with India, these countries also celebrate their independence day on 15th August :-

1. South Korea - Japan - August 15, 1945
2. Britain - Bahrain - August 15, 1971
3. France - Congo - August 15, 1960

Important Days of August Month - (National Days and International Days):