Indian national symbols for kids

What are national symbols?

National symbols are special things that stand for a whole country. They belong to everyone, whichever language they speak or faith they follow. This page covers only symbols that Government of India sources list, and skips any where our sources disagreed.

The National Flag

The National Flag is a horizontal tricolour of saffron at the top, white in the middle and green at the bottom, in equal bands. In the centre of the white band is the Ashoka Chakra, a navy blue wheel with 24 spokes. The Constituent Assembly adopted the flag in its present form on 22 July 1947. Our Republic Day guide has a note on respecting paper flags.

The State Emblem

The State Emblem is an adaptation of the Lion Capital of Ashoka at Sarnath. It shows lions with the Wheel of the Law in the middle and a horse and a bull on either side. The lotus from the original sculpture is left out. Below it, in Devanagari, are the words Satyameva Jayate, which mean “Truth alone triumphs”.

The National Anthem: Jana Gana Mana

Rabindranath Tagore wrote Jana Gana Mana in 1911. On 24 January 1950 the Constituent Assembly of India accepted it as the National Anthem. The first stanza is the part used as the anthem.

The National Song: Vande Mataram

Vande Mataram was written by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee. On 24 January 1950, Dr Rajendra Prasad told the Constituent Assembly that the song should be honoured equally with Jana Gana Mana and have equal status with it. We give no date for its first publication, because sources differ.

Animal, bird, tree and fruit

• National animal: the tiger (Panthera tigris).
• National bird: the peacock (Pavo cristatus).
• National tree: the banyan (Ficus bengalensis).
• National fruit: the mango (Mangifera indica).

These four are listed as national symbols on a Government of India mission page, and an encyclopaedic list agrees. We give no adoption dates, as we could not check them in a government source.

The National River: the Ganga

A Government of India audit report states that on 4 November 2008 the Prime Minister declared the Ganga as the National River of India.

What we left out, and why

We left out the national flower, because one government page lists the lotus while an encyclopaedia says the government has stated there is no national flower. We also left out the national calendar, aquatic animal, heritage animal and national game, as we could not read a government source for them. Rangooo would rather skip a fact than guess.

Try it: design a class symbol

Each child suggests one thing that stands for your class, such as a plant or a colour, and says why. Vote on one and draw it on a poster. Teachers will find more ideas on our for teachers page. For the story behind the Constitution, read Constitution Day for kids.

Test yourself

1. How many spokes does the Ashoka Chakra have? Answer: 24.
2. Who wrote Jana Gana Mana? Answer: Rabindranath Tagore.
3. What do the words Satyameva Jayate mean? Answer: Truth alone triumphs.
4. Which animal is the national animal? Answer: the tiger.

More to explore: the festival quiz and the festival calendar.

Questions

What are the national symbols of India?

They are things chosen to stand for the whole country. This page covers the National Flag, the State Emblem, the National Anthem, the National Song, the national animal, bird, tree, fruit and river.

What is India’s national anthem?

The national anthem is Jana Gana Mana. On 24 January 1950 the Constituent Assembly accepted it as the National Anthem. It was written by Rabindranath Tagore.

What is the national animal and the national bird of India?

The national animal is the tiger and the national bird is the peacock, according to the Government of India’s list of national symbols.

Why does this page not list a national flower?

Our sources do not agree on it. One government page lists the lotus, but an encyclopaedia says the government has stated that there is no national flower. When sources disagree, we leave a symbol out.