The Architect of the Tricolour: Pingali Venkayya

Jul 22, 2025

The Architecture of the Tricolour: Symbolism, Structure, and Sovereignty

Every year on Flag Day, the Indian Tricolour is hoisted with formal respect across government offices, schools, and military establishments. It is saluted, sung to, and sometimes projected onto iconic monuments. Yet, beyond the ceremonial rituals lies a lesser-discussed but equally vital question: what is the architecture of the Indian national flag, and what does it signify?

The Indian flag is not just a visual identity—it is a designed artifact of the Republic, composed with deliberate symbolism, proportions, and ideological commitments. Its architecture—both in form and meaning—was finalised in the final days leading to independence, reflecting a vision of modern India that continues to evolve.

Origins: From Swaraj to Republic

The journey of the Indian national flag traces back to the early 20th century, when the freedom movement began articulating a common identity for a fragmented subcontinent.

The first national flag of India is often attributed to a 1906 version unfurled in Calcutta, followed by variants during the Home Rule Movement and Gandhi’s campaigns. By 1921, a version proposed by Pingali Venkayya—a freedom fighter and agriculturist—was discussed with Mahatma Gandhi. It included red and green bands representing Hindus and Muslims, and later incorporated white for other communities and a spinning wheel to signify swadeshi and self-reliance.

This evolved into the final Tricolour adopted on 22 July 1947, just weeks before independence. While retaining the horizontal stripes and wheel, its meaning was secularised and repurposed for the new Republic.

Design and Proportions

The Indian flag’s design is defined in detail by the Flag Code of India and Bureau of Indian Standards (IS1:1968).

  • It consists of three equal horizontal bands:

    • Saffron (top): Courage, sacrifice, and the spirit of renunciation.

    • White (middle): Truth, peace, and honesty.

    • Green (bottom): Faith, fertility, and the land of India.

  • At the centre of the white band is a navy-blue Ashoka Chakra with 24 equally spaced spokes. The Chakra is taken from the Lion Capital of Ashoka at Sarnath, symbolising dharma (righteousness), motion, and ethical governance.

  • The flag has an aspect ratio of 3:2 (length to height), and the Chakra's diameter is set to be approximately three-fourths of the height of the white band.

This geometry is not ornamental—it is symbolic engineering. It ensures uniformity of representation and gives the flag a rational and recognisable structure across all scales and media.

Material and Manufacturing

Traditionally, the Indian flag was to be made exclusively from hand-spun and hand-woven Khadi cotton, silk, or wool, as a nod to Gandhi’s vision of swadeshi. Until recently, Khadi Development and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) was the sole licensed producer of the national flag.

In 2022, the Government of India amended the Flag Code to permit machine-made and polyester versions, stirring debate between traditionalists and reformers. The shift was seen as an attempt to scale up public access, but also raised concerns over the symbolic dilution of the flag’s Gandhian roots.

Regardless of material, the flag’s production remains highly regulated, with strict specifications on dimensions, colour shades (Pantone-matched), and dye quality.

The Ashoka Chakra: A Wheel in Motion

At the centre of the flag, the Ashoka Chakra serves a deeper philosophical function.

Unlike the static symbols in many national flags, the Chakra denotes motion, progress, and timeless ethical order. Its 24 spokes are variously interpreted as representations of the 24 hours of the day, the 24 virtues in Buddhism, or the interdependence of duties and rights.

Importantly, it replaced the earlier spinning wheel (charkha) in the Congress flag to avoid political partisanship and to emphasise constitutional neutrality. The Chakra, drawn from a pan-Indian civilisational legacy, was thus a conscious symbol of unification—across region, religion, and ideology.

Protocol and Practice

Flag architecture is not only visual but ritualistic. The Flag Code of India (2002) lays out guidelines for display, disposal, hoisting position, and conduct during national ceremonies.

For instance:

  • The flag must always be flown with the saffron band on top when horizontal.

  • It must not touch the ground or be draped on any surface.

  • No other flag may be placed higher or to the right of the Tricolour when displayed.

In 2022, the Har Ghar Tiranga campaign marked a shift toward public participation in flag-hoisting, enabled by relaxed norms on individual and night-time display. Yet this also introduced new challenges around flag etiquette, misuse, and mass production.

Comparative Symbolism

India’s Tricolour joins a global club of national flags that use color, geometry, and emblems to encode political and civilizational meaning.

  • Like France’s tricolour, it reflects revolutionary values.

  • Like Japan’s Hinomaru, it includes a central emblem of universal significance.

  • Like South Africa’s post-apartheid flag, it serves as a tool of inclusion and reconciliation.

Yet unlike many national flags rooted in military or monarchic symbolism, the Indian flag was born in the context of a non-violent mass movement and a pluralist constitutional democracy.

Conclusion: A Flag in Thought and Practice

On Flag Day, it is worth remembering that the Indian Tricolour is not simply a banner of nationalism. It is a designed argument for unity, progress, and ethical citizenship. Its architecture—a synthesis of ancient symbols and modern ideals—offers a visual blueprint of what the Republic set out to achieve.

To understand the Tricolour is not only to respect a national symbol but to engage with the philosophy of the Indian State itself—an evolving project that remains, like the Chakra, always in motion.

About the Author:
This article was written for The Hind, the research and public thought lab of The Hind School, dedicated to India-centred inquiry in history, culture, and governance.

The Hind is the think tank of The Hind School, committed to advancing Applied India Studies through public thought, field inquiry, and interdisciplinary India-centred knowledge.

The Hind is the think tank of The Hind School, committed to advancing Applied India Studies through public thought, field inquiry, and interdisciplinary India-centred knowledge.

The Hind is the think tank of The Hind School, committed to advancing Applied India Studies through public thought, field inquiry, and interdisciplinary India-centred knowledge.

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