National symbols reflect pride and prestige of a nation. India, one of the oldest civilizations of the world has several identifiable features in form of national symbols. Starting with the National Symbol of India, it has been depicted from the Sarnath Lion Capital of great Emperor Ashoka. The symbol has four lions on a pillar with an elephant, horse, bull, and lion separated by a lotus on the base. Adopted by the Indian government on January 26, 1950 there is also a Dharma Chakra carved into the stone. The base has ‘Satyameva Jayate’ engraved on it representing the idea of ‘Truth alone triumphs’.

The national animal of India is Tiger. Admired for its power, strength and grace, the Indian tiger is also known as Royal Bengal Tiger. Government of India launched ‘Project Tiger’ in the year 1973 to protect the tiger population.

The national bird of India is peacock (Pavo cristatus). Peacocks had several presences in great Indian mythological epics and folk tales. It has a long neck and a fan-shaped array of feathers. It represents grace, beauty and mysticism. Peacock is considered as sacred and protected by both religious sentiments as well as parliamentary statue.

The Banyan tree is the national tree of India. Its official name is Ficus bengalensis. Among all the known trees, Banyan tree has widest reaching roots. It is really a tangle of numerous branches, roots, and trunks. It lives for an incredible length of time and hence considered as an immortal tree.

The lotus (Nelumbo Nucipera Gaertn) is the official flower of India. It is a symbol of illumination, wealth, knowledge and good fortune. Lotus symbolizes purity of the heart. It also stands for triumph, because despite being rooted in the mud, it remains untouched by the impurity of the mud.

The mango is the national fruit of India. Hundreds of varieties of mango are available in the country. Relished by people of all age groups, mango is a rich source of vitamin A, C, and D.

National Anthem of India is “Jana-gana-mana”, composed by the great poet Rabindranath Tagore and was adopted by the Constituent Assembly of India on January 24th 1950. The national flag of India is the Tricolor which has deep saffron color strip at the top, white in the middle and dark green at the bottom in equal proportions. There is a wheel in the navy blue color in the centre of the white strip, representing the Dharma Chakra.