26th January ! If you have grown up in India, you will instantly recognize this date as an important one. Why so ? India celebrates Republic Day on the 26th of every January. On this day in 1950, India became a Republic- a state in which supreme power is held by the people and their elected representatives, and which has an elected or nominated president rather than a monarch. Yes, that is what republic means. So here we are with some interesting Facts about the Indian Republic Day.
Post-independence the “Dominion of India” came into existence, under the Commonwealth of Nations.
1) It was on 26th January 1950 that the Constitution of India came into force and India formally became a Republic.
2) The date 26th January was especially selected since it was the anniversary of Purna Swaraj Day (26th January 1930).
3) India has the longest written Constitution in the world, incorporating 448 Articles in 22 Parts, 12 Schedules and 97 Amendments.
4) It took Dr. B.R.Ambedkar 2 years 11 months and 18 days to draft the Indian Constitution.
5) Two hand-written copies of the Constitution were prepared: in English and in Hindi.
6) Both were signed by 308 members of the Assembly on 24th January 1950. It became effective two days later, and came into force throughout the country.
7) The original hand-written copies of the Constitution are kept in helium-filled cases in the Library of Parliament House.
8 ) It has seen 94 Amendments since inception.
9) India’s motto “Satyamev Jayate” is taken from the Mundaka Upanishad,from the Atharvaveda It was translated into Hindi by Abid Ali in 1911.
10) Madan Mohan Malviya was responsible for selecting the Indian motto.
11) Rabindranath Tagore wrote Jana Gana Mana in Bengali first. It was translated by Abid Ali into Hindi, in 1911, and officially adopted as the Indian National Anthem in 1950.
12) It takes 52 seconds to sing the complete National Anthem.
13) The Indian emblem is adapted from the Ashoka Pillar at Sarnath, dating back to 250 BC.
14) The Indian flag was conceptualized and designed by Pingali Venkayya, a farmer from Machilipatnam.
15) The ratio of the Indian flag’s width to length is two to three.
16) The Indian flag, by law, is made of khadi and can be only made in nine specified sizes.
17) Flying an Indian flag made from any material other than khadi is punishable by law with upto three years of imprisonment and a hefty fine.
18) The Indian flag should never touch the ground or water, or ever be used as drapery.
19) Dr. Rajendra Prasad took oath as India’s first President on 26th January 1950.
20) A 21 gun salute is fired as the President of India unfurls the tricolour, as a naval and military mark of honour.
21)“Beating the Retreat” is a military ceremony held on 29th January every year. It marks the end of Republic Day ceremonies. It was first started way back in the 1950s by Major Roberts of the Indian Army. The evening ends on the note of “Abide with Me” which also happened to be Mahatma Gandhi’s favourite hymn.