India is widely celebrated for its use of vibrant color, but these colors are more than just decorative. Colors in India have connections to history, religion, and politics, and there is no better example of this meaningful connection than the flag of India.
First proposed to the Indian National Congress in 1921 by Mahatma Gandhi and designed by Pingali Venkayy, the colors of India’s flag (also know as Tiraṅgā, meaning “Tricolour”) were carefully chosen to represent the beauty, ritual, and tradition of its people.
The flag was officially adopted on August 15th, 1947, the day India officially declared its independence from the UK. Philosopher Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, who later became India’s first Vice President and second President, clarified the adopted flag and described its significance as follows:
“Bhagwa or the Saffron denotes renunciation or disinterestedness. Our leaders must be indifferent to material gains and dedicate themselves to their work. The white in the centre is light, the path of truth to guide our conduct. The green shows our relation to (the) soil, our relation to the plant life here, on which all other life depends. The “Ashoka Chakra” in the centre of the white is the wheel of the law of dharma. Truth or satya, dharma or virtue ought to be the controlling principle of those who work under this flag. Again, the wheel denotes motion. There is death in stagnation. There is life in movement. India should no more resist change, it must move and go forward. The wheel represents the dynamism of a peaceful change.”
Nirvana Indian cuisine celebrates these ideals with a special dish based on the colors of the flag of India. Featuring Butter chicken, Malai Kebab, and Saag Paneer, this dish is not just remarkably photogenic, it’s also delicious!
