List of 18 National Symbols of India with Names and Pictures

There are 18 National Symbols of India that are the pride of our country and represent Indian culture and heritage. In this post, we will discuss all the National symbols of India with Names and pictures.

National Symbols of India

National Symbols of India: National Symbols are India’s Pride that represent the culture and Heritage of our country. Today, we Indians living all over the world and knowing that National Symbols is really a step ahead to being a true Indian. There is a total of 18 different National symbols in India. These are – National Emblem, National Flag, National Currency, National Calendar, National River, National Heritage Animal, National Animal, National Bird, National Monument, National Tree, National Song, National Anthem, National Game, National Aquatic Animal, National Vegetable, National Fruit, National Reptile and National Flower.

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18 National Symbols of India with Names and Pictures | National Symbols Chart

S. No.	Title	Symbol	Pictures
1	National Flag	Tiranga
2	National Emblem	Ashoka Stambh
3	National Currency	Indian Rupees
4	National Calendar	Saka Calendar
5	National Monument	India Gate
6	National River	Ganga
7	National Heritage Animal	Indian Elephant
8	National Animal	Royal Bengal Tiger
9	National Bird	Indian Peacock
10	National Tree	Indian Banyan
11	National Song	Vande Mataram	Written By Bankim Chandra Chatterjee
12	National Anthem	Jana Gana Mana	Written By Rabindra Nath Tagore
13	National Game	Hockey
14	National Aquatic Animal	Ganges River Dolphin
15	National Vegetable	Pumpkin
16	National Fruit	Mango
17	National Flower	Lotus
18	National Reptile	King Cobra

Important Points on National Symbols of India with Names

National Emblem – The Sarnath Lion

• The Sarnath Lion at the capital of Asoka’s empire,
• Adopted as the state emblem of India: 26 January 1950, the day when India become a Republic.
• Carved out of a single block of polished sandstone
• The Capital is crowned by Dharma Chakra, the wheel of the low.
• In the state emblem adopted by the government, only three lions are visible whereas the fourth ( in the original) is hidden from view. The wheel appears in relief in the centre of the abacus with a bull on the right and a horse on the left. The bell-shaped lotus has been omitted. The words, stayameva jayate ( meaning ‘truth alone triumphs’) from the Mundaka Upanishad are inscribed below the abacus in Devanagari script. it is also the national motto. it is a preserver in the Sarnath Museum.

National Symbls of India in Hindi - Click Here

The National Flag – Tiranga

• The Tricolour, comprise a three-colour horizontal strip of deep saffron (Kesari), (representing courage and sacrifice) at the top, White (peace and truth) in the middle and dark Green (faith and chivalry) at the bottom.
• The ratio of the width of the flag to its length is 2:3.
• In the centre of the white band is a wheel, in navy blue. It is a wheel (Chakra) with 24 spokes on the abacus of the Sarnath Lion Capital of Ashoka. Its diameter is equal to the width of the white band.
• The design of the national flag was adopted by the Constituent Assembly of India: on 22 July 1947.
• Flag’s use and display are regulated by a code. A new Flag Code of India, 2002, took effect on 26 January 2002.
• Provisions for proper Use: no restrictions for displaying the national flag by members of the general public, private organisations, educational institutions,
• prevention of Improper Use Act, 1950, the prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971 and a few other law enacted on the subject are guidelines for using the flag with dignity and pride.

National Anthem – Jana Gana Mana

jana- gana- mana-adhinayaka jaya he
Bharata-bhagya-vidhata.
Punjaba -sindhu-Gujarat-Maratha-Dravida-Utkala-Banga
Vindhya-Himachala-Yamuna-Ganga
Uchchala-Jaladhi-taranga
Tava Subha name jage
Tava subha asisa mange,
Gahe tava jaya-gatha,
jana-gana-mangala-dayaka, Jaya he
Bharate-bhagya-vidhata.
Jaya he, Jaya he, Jaya he.
Jaya Jaya jaya, Jaya he.

National Songs – Vande Mataram

• The song is composed by Bankimchandra Chatterjee.
• Equal status with Jana-gana-mana.
• The first sung at a political occasion: 1896 session of the INC.

Vande Mataram,
Sujalam, suphalam, malayaja shitalam,
Shasyashyamalam, Mataram!
Shubhrajyothsna pulkitayaminim
Phullakussumita drumadala shobhinim,
Suhasinim sumadhura bhashinim,
Sukadam varadam, Mataram!

English translation of the stanza rendered by Sri Aurobindo (in Sri Aurobindo birth centenary library popular edition 1972, vol. 8), is I bow to thee, mother, richly- watered, richly-fruited, cool with the wind of the south, dark with the crops of the harvests, The, Mother! Her nights rejoicing in the glory of the moonlight, Her lands clothed beautifully with her trees in flowering bloom, sweet of laughter, sweet speech, The Mother, giver of boons, giver of bliss.

National Flower – Lotus

• Scientific Name – Nelumbo Nucifera Gaertn
• Sacred flower
• An auspicious symbol of Indian culture.
• Occupies a unique position in the art and mythology of India.

National River – Ganga

• The longest River in India, flowing over 2,510 km.
• Originates in the Gangotri Glacier in the Himalayas as the Bhagirathi River
• Joined downstream by rivers like the Alaknanda, Yamuna, Son, Gumti, Kosi and Ghagra.
• Revered Hinduism as the most sacred river.
• The Ganga river basin is very fertile and is one of the most densely populated areas of the world.
• Area: 1,000,000 sq. km.

National Tree – Indian Banyan Tree

• The scientific name of the Indian Banyan Tree – Ficus Bengalensis
• It has branches that shoot aerial roots letting it spread like new trees over a large area.
• This tree is considered immortal due to its characteristic of spreading the whole area with its roots, expanding trunk and longevity
• An integral part of the myths and legends in India.
• The banyan tree is the focal point of village life.
• The village Council mostly meets under this tree.

National Animal – Royal Bengal Tiger

• From a specific population of the Panthera tigris, tigris subspecies that is native to the Indian subcontinent.
• Out of eight existing species, the Royal Bengal Tiger is the rarest.
• The combination of grace, strength, agility and enormous power has earned it the title of the national animal of India.
• To protect the most dwindling population of tigers in India, ‘project Tiger’ was launched in April 1973.

National Fruit – Mango

• The mango tree is one of the most widely cultivated fruit tree in India. There are over 100 varieties of mangoes, in different sizes, shapes, colours and taste.

National Bird – Indian peacock

• The scientific name of the Indian peacock – Pavo cristatus
• It has beautiful velvet feathers and a slender neck.
• The male is more colourful than the female with a glistening blue breast and neck and a glistening blue breast and neck and a spectacular bronze-green tail of around 200 elongated feathers. [The female is brownish and slightly smaller than the male and lacks a tail.]
• The dance of the male fanning out the tail and preening its feathers is a gorgeous sight.

National Heritage Animal – Asiatic Elephant

• In order to increase the population of, the largest mammal species on land, the Min. of Environment has declared it the National Heritage Animal.
• Around 60% of them live in India.

National Aquatic Animal – River Dolphin

• the scientific name of the River Dolphin – Platanista gangetica
• It is a critically and angered species in India.
• It is put in Schedule 1 of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
• Poaching, degradation of its habitat, siltation, pollution and reduced flow of river water are threats to its existence.

National Monument – India Gate

• The war memorial situated in New Delhi is the national monument of India, erected in memory of 90,000 soldiers who lost their lives fighting in World War I and the Afghan War for the British Army. Designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens. Earlier, it was called the All India War Memorial.

Indian Standard Time – IST

India has only one standard time. It is 5.5 hours ahead of GMT/UTC, 4.5 hours behind Australian Eastern Standard Time and 10.5 hours ahead of American Eastern Standard Time.

National Reptile – king cobra

• The scientific name of King Cobra Ophiophagus hannah
• The venomous King cobra is considered a sacred animal in Indian Culture. It grows up to 3m.

National Calendar – The Saka Calendar

At the time of independence, the Govt. of India followed the Christian era. The National government adopted the recommendation of the Calendar Reform Committee that the Saka be adopted as the basis of the national calendar. The Saka year has the normal 365 days and begins with Chaitra as its first month. The days of the Saka Calendar have a permanent correspondence with the dates of the Gregorian Calendar, Chaitra 1 falling on March 22 in a normal year and on March 21in a Leap year. The National Calendar commenced on Chaitra 1 Saka, 1879 corresponding to March 22, 1957, A.D. The months of the National Calendar with their days and the dates of the Gregorian Calendar corresponding to the first day of the Saka month are given below:

Saka	Gregorian
1) Chaitra 30/31 days	March 22/21
1 Vaishaka 31	April 22
Jyaistha 31	May 22
1 Asadha 31	June 22
1 Sravana 31	July 23
1 Bhadra 31	August 23
1 Asvina 30	September 23
1 Kartika 30	Oct 23
1 Margasira 30	Nov. 22
1 Pausa 30	Dec. 22
1 Magha 30	jan. 21
1 Phalguna 30	Feb. 20

FAQs on National Symbols of India