National flower of India

• Lotus, an aquatic plant and found in ponds and muddy water, is the National flower of India.
• The flower symbolizes spirituality, fruitfulness, wealth, knowledge, illumination and also the

  purity of heart and mind.

The National Emblem of India

• It has been taken from the Sarnath Lion capital erected by Ashoka.

   

• It was adapted by the Government of India on 26th January1950.

   

• In the National emblem only three lions are visible and the fourth one is hidden from the view. All the lions are mounted on an abacus. At the centre of the Abacus, there is a wheel which symbolizes the eternal wheel of law.

• There is a bull, a galloping horse, an elephant and a lion, separated by intervening wheels over a bell shaped lotus. The word Satyameva Jayate (truth alone triumphs) have been inscribed in Devanagari script.

   

• The National emblem of India is the official seal of the President of India and Central and State Governments.

The national anthem of India

• Of the total five stanzas, first stanza of "Jana-gana-mana", composed by Rabindranath Tagore, has been adopted as national anthem. Its playing time is 52 seconds. It was first sung on December 27, 1911 at the Calcutta Session of the Indian National Congress.

• Constituent Assembly of India adopted it as national anthem on January 24, 1950.

The national calendar of India

• It is based on the Saka Era with Chaitra as its first month and a normal year of 365 days.

   

• The national calendar of India was adopted on March 22, 1957.

   

• Usually Chaitra falls on 22 March but on 21 March in a leap year.

The National song of India

• is Vande Mataram. It was composed by the famous poet, Bankim Chandra Chaterjee in the year 1875.
• Rabindranath sang the National song (Vande Mataram) by setting a magnificent tune and Shri Aurobindo interpreted the deep meaning of the song.
• The English translation of Vande Mataram (National song) was rendered by Aurobindo, which is considered official.

The National Game of India

• Hockey is the National Game of India.
• Hockey has been played in India for time immemorial.
• The Golden Era of hockey in India was the period from 1928 - 1956 when India won 6 successive gold medals in the Olympic Games. The excellent command of players on this game made India synonymous with the game.

The national bird of India

• Peacock is the national bird of India.

   

• The Indian peacock is a colorful, swan-sized bird with a fan-shaped crest of feathers on its head, a white patch under the eye and a long-slender neck.

   

• The male peacock is more colorful than the female one.

• The male peacock has a glossy blue breast and a magnificent bronze-green colored tail of around 200 extended feathers.

   

• The female peacock is brownish, slightly smaller than the male and does not have a tail.

   

• The dance of the male peacock by fanning out the tail and shaking the feathers is a pleasure to watch.
• In India the peacock is found in almost all parts and enjoys full protection under the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.

The national animal of India

• Tiger is the national animal of India. The tiger population of the country is approximately 3,750. Twenty three tiger reserves are established throughout the country.

• The Royal Bengal Tiger is found almost all over country except north-western region. There are eight races of the tiger foumd in India.
• India is home to nearly half of the total population of tigers.
• The government of India launched the Project Tiger in 1973 to protect the royal animal.

The National fruit of India

• Mango (Mangifera Indica) is the National fruit of India.

• In India, there are hundreds of mango varieties.

• Mango is a rich source of Vitamins A, C and D.

   

• Mangoes have been cultivated in India since time immemorial.

The National Tree of India

• The Banyan Tree (Ficus subgenus Urostigma) is the national tree of India.  
• The banyan tree is known as the immortal tree as it regenerates and lives for a long time.
• It figures prominently in many of the oldest stories of the nation. It possess the characteristic of developing aerial roots that allows it to spread over a large area.  
• The biggest banyan tree in Pune, India. It measures 800 m around its perimeter.

National river of India:

Ganga is country''s first national river. After getting the status of national river, Ganga's water would become more cleaner as more efforts are likely to be made for its cleaning.

National Portal of India: (Not a national symbol)

• This is the Official Portal of the Indian Government, designed, developed and hosted by National Informatics Centre (NIC), the premier ICT Organisation of the Government of India.

• The Portal is to provide a single window access to the information and services being provided by the Indian Government for the citizens and other stakeholders.

• The content in this Portal is the result of a collaborative effort of various Indian Government Ministries and Departments, at the Central/State/District level.