Wish to all the citizens of India 67th Independence day of India
India celebrates 67th Independence Day on August 15 . India became an independent nation on
August 15, 1947, so a gazetted holiday is held annually to celebrate and remember this date.
What do people do?
Independence Day is a day when people in India pay homage to their leaders and those who fought for
India's freedom in the past. The period leading up to Independence Day is a time when major
government buildings are illuminated with strings of lights and the tricolor flutters from homes and
other buildings. Broadcast, print and online media may have special contests, programs, and articles
to promote the day. Movies about India's freedom fighters are also shown on television.
The president delivers the '"Address to the Nation" on the eve of Independence Day. India's prime
minister unfurls India's flag and holds a speech at the Red Fort in Old Dehli. Flag hoisting ceremonies
and cultural programs are held in the state capitals and often involve many schools and organizations.
Public life
Independence Day is a gazetted holiday in India on August 15 each year. National, state and local
government offices, post offices and banks are closed on this day. Stores and other businesses and
organizations may be closed or have reduced opening hours.
Public transport is usually unaffected as many locals travel for celebrations but there may be heavy
traffic and increased security in areas where there are celebrations. Independence Day flag raising
ceremonies may cause some disruption to traffic, particularly in Dehli and capital cities in India's
states.
Background
The struggle for India's Independence began in 1857 with the Sepoy Mutiny in Meerut. Later, in the
20th century, the Indian National Congress and other political organizations, under the leadership of
Mahatma Gandhi, launched a countrywide independence movement. Colonial powers were
transferred to India on August 15, 1947.
The Constituent Assembly, to who power was to be transferred, met to celebrate India's independence
at 11pm on August 14, 1947. India gained its liberty and became a free country at midnight between
August 14 and August 15, 1947. It was then that the free India's first prime minister Pandit Jawaharlal
Nehru gave his famous "Tryst with Destiny" speech. People across India are reminded of the meaning
of this event - that it marked the start of a new era of deliverance from the British colonialism that
took place in India for more than 200 years.
Symbols
The sport of kite flying symbolizes Independence Day. The skies are dotted with countless kites flown
from rooftops and fields to symbolize India's free spirit of India. Kites of various styles, sizes and
shades, including the tricolor are available in the marketplaces. The Red Fort in Dehli is also an
important Independence Day symbol in India as it is where Indian Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru
unveiled India's flag on August 15, 1947.
India's national flag is a horizontal tricolor of deep saffron (kesaria) at the top, white in the middle
and dark green at the bottom in equal proportion. The ratio of the flag's width to its length is two to
three. A navy-blue wheel in the center of the white band represents the chakra. Its design is that of the
wheel which appears on the abacus of the Sarnath Lion Capital of Ashoka. Its diameter approximates
to the white band's width and it has 24 spokes.