Indian Navy’s New Ensign Unveiled
Recently the new ensign of the Indian Navy has been unveiled.
The new flag emblem reflects the national effort to move away from the colonial past and take pride in its heritage by drawing inspiration from its history.
The new flag emblem replaces the Red Cross of St. George, symbolizing Britain’s patron saint.
The new flag emblem has two main components:
- On the top left is the national flag of India, and in the center of the fly side (away from the flag bar) is a dark blue-gold octagon.
- The blue water capabilities of the Indian Navy are represented by the blue color of the octagon. The double octagonal borders are inspired by the seal of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
History of Navy in India-
- The earliest mention of maritime activities in India comes from the Rigveda.
- The remains of Godivada (Dockayad) at Lothal date back to 2400 It was the world’s first center of navigational activities.
- Mention of naval activities is also found in the evidences related to the southern kingdoms like Chola, Chera, Pandya, Vijayanagara etc. apart from Nanda, Maurya, Satavahana, Gupta dynasty etc.
- Later, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj had established a capable naval fleet to give a tough competition to the European naval forces.
Source- The Hindu
