Do you have a flag!?Akshay Mathurakshay.mathur@hotmail.comakshay.quantum@gmail.com

Eddie Izzard (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTduy7Qkvk8&feature=related)

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Mera Bharat Mahan(My India Greatest)

One of the oldest civilizations in the world, dating back to 1300BC

Home to more than 200 languages and varied cultures – Founder of many religions and philosophies

One of the most diverse geographies across the world – From plains to mountains, from deserts to snow

Diversity (and its celebration) is the soul of India

Anekta mein ekta(Unity in diversity)

Diversity tends to lead to isolation and marginalization - Unity in the face of diversity is the bedrock of the Indian sub continent

For more than 400 years, India was ruled by the Mughals followed by a long rule by the British

External influences in India therefore are imbibed and ‘hybridized’ with the existing to create a stronger hybrid resultant culture

Rudra Veena (Acoustic instrument from Southern India)

Sitar (Acoustic instrument from Northern India)

Oscar winning musician, Pt. Vishva Mohan Bhatt. Creator of the Mohan Veena

Hum sab ek hain(We are all one)

Hybridization of cultures and influences ensures a level playing field for all

Equality for all is the great Indian dream which we continue to chase….

…in hopes of being prosperous and ‘happy’

‘Tiranga’(The Indian tricolour)Our current flag

SaffronStands for dedication to work which leads to prosperity

WhiteStands for the path to truth and peace

The ‘Chakra’ stands for justice and virtue (Also connotes movement and the karmic cycle)

GreenStands for the earth and our rootedness in it (Being an agrarian nation)

Our new flag

The old Indian flag was adopted in 1947 to represent India’s independence from British rule

Though India's essence remains the same, our expression has changed significantly Economically, Culturally and even Politically

Our new flag represents values of ‘Bharat’ (Traditional India) and merges it with a unique and modern expression

A leap from the existing flag rather than recreating its identity from scratch

Bharatsutra(India connect)

Seamlessness between the earth and the sky represents the coming together of polarities to create unity

Progress and prosperity are an integral part of our DNA – The sky represents our upwards trajectory and our yearning to go beyond

The earth represents our rootedness and ‘quiet ambition’; being sons of the soil, keeping one eye on the ground while the other on the skies is a future forward philosophy

The hugging pigeons represent brotherhood and positivity…all of us might have different markings, but at the end of the day all of us are Indian and proud to be so

Brightness in the flag connotes positivity and happiness

nSab saath chalo, sooraj ke paar chalo(Lets move forward as one, beyond the moon, stars and the sun)

Jai Hind(Salutations…India)

Image credits

http://z.about.com/d/geography/1/0/n/J/india.jpg

http://shettydeepak.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/slumdog-millionaire.jpgwww.hansib-books.comhttp://www.fotosearch.com/bthumb/CSP/CSP026/k0267252.jpghttp://www.amc.org.uk/tours/2005/images/vishwa_mohan_bhatt.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.amc.org.uk/tours/2005/oct_nov_dec.htm&usg=__afoypTFsOGXNq_AvkcJra6TTelk=&h=255&w=200&sz=13&hl=en&start=2&um=1&tbnid=Z5kHvgSqmSD8rM:&tbnh=111&tbnw=87&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dmohan%2Bveena%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26sa%3DN%26um%3D1