On every Independence Day, countless Indians see the tricolour fly with immense pride. The history of India's national flag starts with Pingali Venkayya, a freedom fighter who had a vision that led to the creation of such an inspiring symbol for the nation. From a small village in Andhra Pradesh to a symbol of a whole nation, Pingali’s journey is one of dedication, research, and belief in freedom.
India's national flag designer, Pingali Venkayya, was born on 2nd August 1879 at Pedakallipalli, a village in the Krishna district of Andhra Pradesh. Right from childhood, Venkayya had a great thirst for learning. His quest for knowledge brought him to Cambridge University. Later on, when Pingali served in the Boer War in South Africa, he met Gandhiji. This meeting gave a new direction to his views about freedom and symbolism.
Pingali Venkayya was deeply influenced by the sight of the British Union Jack being hoisted at an Indian National Congress meeting. He wondered why Indians should salute a foreign flag and started contemplating the idea of a flag for India.
He introduced the concept of having a national flag in 1906 during a meeting of the All India Congress Committee. From 1916 to 1921, he observed the flags of 30 nations while living in his native village. The study was based on the symbols depicted on the flags in terms of the people and nationhood.
The flag designed by Pingali Venkayya was shown to Mahatma Gandhi in April 1921. He appreciated his zeal and talked about his efforts in the journal named 'Young India'. There were three colours in the flag - white, red and green, which stood for purity, sacrifice and hope respectively. There was a Charkha in the centre.
The design was not immediately accepted. In 1931, the Indian National Congress took up a flag with a design similar to that proposed by Pingali with horizontal stripes of saffron, white, and green colours. After the Independence of India, the design of the Indian flag was completed by a committee headed by Rajendra Prasad. The charkha was replaced by the Dharma Chakra, symbolising law and righteousness. The new design was finally adopted on 22 July 1947.
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