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Know India

Map of Bharat

Temples and tourist places across the nation.

Sri Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple)Mahabodhi Temple, Bodh GayaVirupaksha Temple, HampiVaishno Devi TempleBadrinath TempleKedarnath TempleMahakaleshwar Temple, UjjainKhajuraho Group of MonumentsLingaraja Temple, BhubaneswarKonark Sun TempleJagannath Temple, PuriDwarkadhish Temple, DwarkaSomnath TempleShri Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir, AyodhyaKashi Vishwanath Temple, VaranasiTirumala Venkateswara TempleNataraja Temple, ChidambaramRanganathaswamy Temple, SrirangamRamanathaswamy Temple, RameswaramBrihadeeswarar Temple, ThanjavurMeenakshi Amman Temple, MaduraiSabarimala Sree Dharmasastha TempleSree Padmanabhaswamy TempleVadakkunnathan Temple, ThrissurGuruvayur Sri Krishna TempleHavelock (Swaraj Dweep), AndamanValley of FlowersKaziranga National ParkSundarbansDarjeelingLeh-LadakhSarnathSanchi StupaRann of KutchStatue of UnityRaigad FortGateway of India, MumbaiEllora CavesMysore PalaceKanyakumari and Vivekananda RockPunnathur Kotta Elephant Sanctuary, GuruvayurMunnarKerala Backwaters, AlappuzhaVaranasi GhatsAmer Fort, JaipurIndia Gate and Kartavya PathQutub MinarRed Fort, DelhiTaj Mahal, AgraNew Delhi

The Tiranga. Saffron for courage and sacrifice, white for truth and peace, green for faith and prosperity, and the Dharma Chakra of 24 spokes for the ceaseless wheel of progress.

Key facts

Official name
Republic of India (Bharat)
Capital
New Delhi
Government
Sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic republic
Independence Day
15 August 1947
Constitution adopted
26 November 1949 (Samvidhan Divas)
Republic Day
26 January 1950
States and Union Territories
28 States and 8 Union Territories
Parliament
Lok Sabha (543 elected seats) and Rajya Sabha (up to 250 members)
Scheduled languages
22 languages in the Eighth Schedule; Hindi and English for Union official work
Area
About 3.28 million square km, the 7th largest country
Highest court
Supreme Court of India, New Delhi
Currency
Indian Rupee (INR)

National symbols

National Flag

Tiranga: saffron, white and green with the navy-blue 24-spoke Ashoka Chakra. Adopted 22 July 1947.

State Emblem

Lion Capital of Ashoka at Sarnath with the motto Satyameva Jayate.

National Anthem

Jana Gana Mana, by Rabindranath Tagore. Adopted 24 January 1950.

National Song

Vande Mataram, by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay.

National Bird

Indian Peafowl (Pavo cristatus).

National Animal

Bengal Tiger (Panthera tigris tigris).

National Flower

Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera).

National Tree

Banyan (Ficus benghalensis).

National Fruit

Mango (Mangifera indica).

National River

The Ganga.

National Aquatic Animal

Ganges River Dolphin.

National Heritage Animal

Indian Elephant.

National Calendar

The Saka calendar, used alongside the Gregorian calendar.

National Currency

Indian Rupee, symbol ₹.

Journey of Bharat

  1. Indus Valley Civilisation

    Mature urban cities such as Harappa and Mohenjo-daro flourish in the north-west.

  2. Vedas, Itihasa and Dharma

    The Vedas, Upanishads, Ramayana and Mahabharata shape the thought, ethics and culture of Bharat.

  3. Emperor Ashoka

    The Mauryan emperor adopts the Dhamma and raises pillars and stupas across the land. His Sarnath capital becomes the State Emblem.

  4. Chola Temples

    Rajaraja Chola completes the Brihadeeswarar Temple in 1010 CE and the Cholas extend maritime influence.

  5. Hindavi Swarajya

    Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is crowned at Raigad and establishes a just, people-centred Swarajya.

  6. Freedom Struggle

    From 1857 to the Quit India Movement of 1942, countless Indians fight for independence.

  7. Independence

    Bharat becomes free. The national flag is hoisted at the Red Fort.

  8. Republic

    The Constitution comes into force, and India becomes a sovereign republic.

  9. Digital Bharat

    Citizen services move online, with Akshaya and common service centres bringing them to every village.

Our Timeless Heritage

Dharma, courage and wisdom that shaped Bharat.

Sri Rama and the Ramayana

Maryada Purushottama Sri Rama stands for truth, duty and righteous rule. The Ramayana of Valmiki is the Adi Kavya, the first epic poem.

Sri Krishna and the Mahabharata

The Bhagavad Gita on the field of Kurukshetra teaches selfless action. The Mahabharata is the longest epic ever composed.

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj

Founder of Hindavi Swarajya, remembered for just administration, forts, a strong navy and respect for all faiths.

Ashokastambha and the Dhamma Chakra

The Ashoka Pillar at Sarnath gave India its emblem, and the 24-spoke Dharma Chakra sits at the centre of the Tiranga.