A nation is recognized by its national anthem, flag, and emblem. As India celebrates its 75th year of independence, the Tricolour immediately comes to mind when you think of India.
But when it comes to our flag, to whom do we owe our gratitude? Pingali Venkayya is the designer of the Indian Tricolour.
On his 146th birth anniversary (2 August), the Union Culture Ministry hosted Tiranga Utsav to honour Venkayya's contributions. A commemorative postal stamp was issued in his honour at the occasion, which Home Minister Amit Shah will attend.
Pingali Venkayya’s Journey
On August 2, 1876, Pingali Venkayya was born close to Machilipatnam. As a British Indian Army soldier, Pingali Venkayya traveled to South Africa to participate in the war. He first noticed the sense of belonging the Union Jack gave British soldiers in South Africa.
Venkayya later created numerous iterations of the country's flag. Mahatma Gandhi gave his approval to a design in 1921 at a Vijayawada meeting of the Indian National Congress.
He gave Mahatma Gandhi a version with two stripes—red and green—and the Gandhian charkha in the middle. Venkayya made the original Tricolor by adding a white stripe to the top, as suggested by Mahatma Gandhi.
Since 1921, the flag has been shown formally at all congressional sessions. Congress established the Tricolour in its 1931 session, with the charkha in its center and the colours saffron, white, and green.
The flag was adopted as the symbol of the nonviolent independence struggle led by Mahatma Gandhi.
The Central government has issued a unique commemorative postage stamp on August 2 to honor his birth anniversary. The stamp was unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the event in New Delhi. Pingali Venkayya's family members were invited by the authorities to the program.
During 1963, Pingali Venkayya passed away due to poverty. A postage stamp was issued in his honor back in 2009. In 2014, the All India Radio (AIR) station in Vijayawada was also given his name.
Meanwhile, the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honor, has been requested to be given to Pingali Venkaiah, according to Union Minister for Tourism and Culture G Kishan Reddy. YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, the chief minister of Andhra Pradesh, had suggested his name for the Bharat Ratna award last year.
