The day was 22nd of July, 1947. A few days prior to the independence of India, the Indian tricolor was adopted as the National Flag during the meeting of the constituent assembly. The National flag of India is a horizontal tricolor of deep saffron (kesari) at the top, white in the middle and dark green at the bottom in equal proportion. A navy-blue wheel representing the chakra is placed in the middle of the white band. Its design is inspired from the wheel which appears at the base of the Sarnath Lion statue. On the occasion of 76th Indian Independence Day, let us find out the five spots where the Indian tricolor flutters at greatest heights.
Karnataka
Belgaum Fort in Kote Kere, hosts the tallest flag post in India. The national tricolor mounted on a 361 ft high pole, was inaugurated in 2018. The Indian flag hoist here is made using weatherproof Denier polyester fabric. The Belgaum Fort itself is a popular tourist attraction. This fort was built in the 13th century during the rule of the Ratta Dynasty. The present-day Belgaum fort is the result of architectural contributions by various other dynasties such as the Vijayanagar dynasty, the Adil Shahi dynasty and the Marathas. Yakub Ali Khan of the Bijapur Sultanate is credited for transforming the original mud and stone structure into an invincible fortress, by adding a deep moat, bastions, massive walls and parapets.
Punjab
The flag at the Attari border of India stands tall at 360 feet. It is the spot that tourists visit to witness the grand beating retreat ceremony. While the ritual has been a daily military exercise between Indian BSF and Pakistan Rangers, it gathers special momentum on 14th and 15th of August every year. The atmosphere is filled with enthusiasm and passion as people sing songs of patriotism, dance & hoist the Indian flag. This national flag was hoisted here by the then Minister of State, Mr. Anil Joshi in 2017. The 24mt wide flag instills a sense of pride and honor in the hearts of travelers who visit the destination.
Maharashtra
The third tallest Flag is installed in the Bhakti Shakti Garden in Pune that is developed and maintained by PNMC (Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation) in Nigdi. To reach this garden one needs to travel on the old Mumbai-Pune highway & after crossing the Nigdi flyover, Bhakti Shakti Garden is on the left side of the Nigdi Pradhikaran Chowk. The National Flag was unfurled for the first time on the occasion of Republic Day in 2018. Besides the 151 ft tall National Flag, other attractions of the park are the statues of Shivaji Maharaj and Sant Tukaram, Appu Ghar and Gensh Talav. The flagpole weighs 42 tonnes and the flag is made of knitted polyester that may sustain windspeed of up to 25kmph.
Assam
The fourth highest national flag was installed in Guwahati on the 150th birth anniversary of the Father of the Nation. The 9600 sq ft Indian flag stands on a 319.5 feet flagpole at Gandhi Mandap, a memorial for Mahatma Gandhi atop the Sarania Hill. At this elevation, it happens to be tallest from mean sea level. The Guwahati Smart City Limited executed the project through a private firm and completed installation in the year 2018. The statue of Mahatma Gandhi at the Gandhi Mandap, showing him walking over a heap of human skeletons, is the only one of its kind. It was sculpted by Ramkinkar Baij, the legendary sculptor of West Bengal. Baij had started making the statue with concrete in 1968 for the Assam government but his assistants completed the work, including casting it in bronze. Former Chief Minister Bishnu Ram Medhi had unveiled this unique art on October 2, 1970.
Maharashtra
The fifth highest installation of the Indian tricolor is also in Maharashtra. The Indian flag was inaugurated in Kolhapur by CM Devendra Fadnavis on 303 feet high flagpost located opposite the SP office of Kolhapur on 1st May 2017. Popular for Misal and Chappals, Kolhapur in Maharashtra boasts of the fifth tallest National Flag in India, which was the second tallest at the time of installation. At the base, the tapering flag pole is five feet wide, while it is 16 inches at the top. Six flood-lights keep the tricolor illuminated through the night. The total weight of the pole is 24 tonnes.
The Indian Tricolor represents hopes and aspirations of the citizen of this country and it serves as a symbol of national pride and patriotism. The above listed places are the five destinations in India where the height of the National Flag is above 300 ft. How many of these have you visited?
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