India will celebrate its 74th Republic Day on January 26, the day the country achieved purna swaraj (complete independence). On the morning of Republic Day, the celebrations will begin with the unfurling of the national flag by the President. While this may seem like the tradition of hoisting of flag by the Prime Minister on Independence Day, the ceremonies are very different.
Here is the key difference between hoisting and unfurling the national flag
Every year on Independence Day, the tricolour is hoisted by the Prime Minister of India at the Red Fort. The national flag is tied at the lower part of the flagpole and it is raised by the Prime Minister. This is an act that signified the country attaining freedom from the British Raj and thus establishing its independent identity. The flag is raised on Independence Day to represent the emergence of a new nation which is free and independent from colonial rule.
Whereas Republic Day marks the formal adoption of the Indian Constitution and on this day the President of India unfurls the National flag at the Kartavya Path (formerly Rajpath). In the ceremony, the tricolour is tied as a bundle with flowers on top of the flagpole and it is unfurled by the President. Since India achieved independence before the first Republic Day was celebrated, the unfurling of the flag signified that India was already a free country.
Who hoists and unfurls the Indian flag?
There was no official President of India for the first Independence Day and at the time, Lord Mountbatten served as the Governor General of India, a position similar to the President. However, since a coloniser couldn't be trusted with hoisting the flag of the independent nation, it was done by the then Prime Minister of India Jawaharlal Nehru.
However, when Dr Rajendra Prasad was appointed as the first President of India, he unfurled the flag on the first Republic Day on January 26, 1950. Since then, every year, the President of India unfurls the flag on Republic Day.
(Edited by : Sudarsanan Mani)
First Published: Jan 25, 2023 6:20 PM IST
Check out our in-depth Market Coverage, Business News & get real-time Stock Market Updates on CNBC-TV18. Also, Watch our channels CNBC-TV18, CNBC Awaaz and CNBC Bajar Live on-the-go!
10% discount on fare on Mumbai Metro lines 2 and 7A on May 20
May 3, 2024 2:40 PM
'Rahul Gandhi deserted Amethi due to fear of Smriti Irani': How BJP plans to puncture Congress' UP plan
May 3, 2024 1:12 PM