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According to the U.S. Department of State, although India occupies 2.4% of the world's land, it supports more than 15% of the world's population. India has thousands of years of history and cultural traditions, evident in the national flag.
History
According to World Flags 101, the Indian flag was introduced in 1931, but was not adopted officially until 1947. The flag initially represented two religious groups in India. The green stripe was representative of the Muslim population and the orange stripe represented the Hindu people. The white stripe symbolized the peace that was desired between the two religions.
Significance
Over time, the meaning of the colors changed. The orange stripe has come to represent courage and sacrifice. The green stands for faith and fertility, and the white stripe represents purity and truth.
The Ashoka Chakra
There is a symbol on the Indian flag called the ashoka chakra, or dharmachakra. The symbol has Buddhist roots and is used to represent the "wheel of law." Each spoke on the wheel represents each hour of the day. The ashoka chakra is one of the oldest known Buddhist symbols still present in Indian art.
Considerations
For many years, Indian citizens were allowed to fly the Indian flag only on special days, such as India's Independence Day. In January 2002, citizens were finally allowed to fly the Indian flag throughout the year.
Flag Regulations
Although citizens are allowed to fly the Indian flag throughout the year, there are some restrictions on what they can and cannot do with it. For example, the flag cannot be intentionally allowed to touch the ground or trail in water. Also, the flag must not be draped over the backs of vehicles, boats, trains, or aircraft.
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