Ever wondered why Hindu or Sanatani flags are so often triangular or swallow-tailed, unlike the rectangular flags of most nations?
The answer goes back a few thousand years.
Ancient India even had different names for different kinds of flags. A dhvaja was generally a standard bearing an emblem or ketu, mounted on a pole. A pataka was a smaller pennant, often triangular, carried alongside it.
The Rigveda speaks of standards raised in battle. Later traditions associate Indra's dhvaja with a triangular form, sometimes described as a lustrous blue.
The Mahabharata takes this much further.
Arjuna's kapi-dhvaja bore Hanuman. Bhishma had the palm tree, Duryodhana the serpent. Around these standards fluttered smaller, multicoloured patakas, likened to dancers swaying in the wind.
On the battlefield, a flag told you who stood where. Bringing down an enemy's dhvaja was no small achievement. You weren't merely tearing down a piece of cloth. You were striking at his identity and morale.
Come to the 6th century CE. Varāhamihira devotes an entire chapter of his Bṛhatsaṃhitā to the Indra-dhvaja. Selecting the tree, preparing the pole, observing omens, raising the standard, adorning it with bells and garlands - every step had its place. The tradition traces its origin to Vishnu's tejas, bestowed upon the Devas in their struggle against the Asuras.
Triangular-headed standards also appear on early Indian coins and in sculptural traditions, some identified with the Indradhvaja or jayadhvaja.
The swallow-tailed Bhagwa Dhvaj associated with Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj came much later. Yet the older Indian fondness for pennants is unmistakable.
And the symbolism? Three corners can suggest the three lokas, the trikāla, even the Trimurti. The saffron pennant, with its tapering ends, resembles the rising flames of Agni. These are traditional and interpretive associations, not necessarily explanations for the original design.
There is also some straightforward engineering here.
For the same length and height, a triangular pennant has half the area of a rectangle. Less cloth generally means less wind load. On a chariot racing across a battlefield or a flagpole atop a temple shikhara, that is worth considering. Perhaps the ancients appreciated this practically, even if they left us no aerodynamic calculations.
Nepal's double-triangular national flag is a remarkable surviving example of the older South Asian pennant tradition.
So when you next see a Bhagwa fluttering above a temple, remember that the form has a history extending well beyond modern flags and nations.
From the patakas of the epics to the Bhagwa of the Marathas, the shape has endured, even as its meanings have evolved.
🚩 The flag that points upward was always meant to.
They planned, attacked, died and set off a sequence of events that has seen their entire terrorist army and that of their allies in the region decimated.
Someone needs to explain to these subhuman inbreds why its called the partition of India, not the partition of Pakistan. Pakistan was only created in 1947, India as a civilizational state had existed for millennia before.
The mad wannabe King of India
By Justice Katju
There have been many mad kings in history, e.g. Roman Emperors Nero, Caligula, and Commodus, the British king George III, Bavaria's king Ludwig II, Mohammad bin Tughluq of India, etc
Rahul Gandhi claims the right to be on the throne of India ( as its Prime Minister ), as he regards himself to belong to India's royal family ( the Nehru-Gandhi family ) which has the divine right to rule India till eternity.
Having been dethroned by the BJP in 2014, like the British Stuarts in 1649 or the French Bourbons in 1789, the Indian royal family dreams of a restoration like that under Charles II in England in 1660, or in France under Louis 18th in 1815.
The Hindi poet Ramdhari Singh Dinkar wrote a famous verse '' Sinhaasan khaali karo, ki janta aati hai ''.
Rahul has paraphrased this to read '' Sinhaasan khaali karo ki shaahi khaandaan aata hai ''.
However, his recent actions give the impression that he is non compos mentis.
Consider his recent insane decision to have a mock parliament on 30th October at the house of Congress President Kharge to 'impeach' the Chief Election Commissioner of India, Gyanesh Kumar
https://t.co/pbjFpCRvTz
This was later revoked, ostensibly because of inclement weather, but probably because the allies of the Congress party in the INDIA bloc refused to attend this ridiculous gathering, which, if held, would have been like the Mad Hatter's Party in Lewis Carroll's 'Alice in Wonderland', and have turned them into a laughing stock.
https://t.co/lCASq3CSDv
Rahul has also announced a gathering of 10 lac ( 1 million ) people on 1st November at Ramlila ground, Delhi to protest the alleged vote chori ( vote theft ) of 13 crore ( 130 million ) votes at the instance of Gyanesh Kumar.
The maximum capacity at Ramlila ground would be about 1 lac ( 100,000 ) people. How can 10 lac people assemble there ?
Also, traders of nearby places have protested that the date 1st November falls during the festival season in India, when many Indian festivals like dhanteras, diwali, kadwa chauth, etc are falling in close proximity, and the traders expect huge sales in this period.They apprehend a loss of Rs 10,000 to 12,000 crores if the rally is held, and have asked for its postponement, but Rahul is adamant on the date.
https://t.co/FLNGHF6ww5
https://t.co/vJj8ZusZZy
As regards the allegation of vote chori against which the rally will be held, my opinion, which I have expressed repeatedly, is that whether there is vote chori or not is irrelevant to the common people of India. This is because the test of every political activity is one, and only one : does it raise the standard of living of the people ? Does it give people better lives ?
Even if there is no vote chori, there will be no improvement in the lives of the people, as explained below. So how does it matter to the people whether there is vote chori or not ? At most there will be a change of rulers if there is no vote chori, but the people's lives will not improve.
https://t.co/Z474n3Ekqa
https://t.co/rq2eeqVT07
https://t.co/LBMkWqkPhl
https://t.co/mCSm9b9cdn
https://t.co/F7uaYpqbKZ
All this is beyond the understanding of India's fatuous and vacuous wannabe king
Kutch Copper 🥶🥶
At full capacity, the world's largest copper smelter plant will eliminate nearly 50% of India's refined copper imports.
And if you're wondering why the opposition is targeting him. 😉
This is why FCRA is definitively a more important bill than the abrogation of Art. 370. The Evangelists are winning the war of attrition. You pacified Kashmir meant new fronts were open and the USA is very experienced in Evangelism and Drug warfare.
This is the endgame of the Red-Green alliance. This is the true Revolution the bearded Baba has been wailing for.
Red is not only playing second fiddle to the Islamists, but they are also now about to be finished by the Green in the true Darwinian sense.
"India has 107,000 petrol pumps, and not a single pump has dried up."
"We are not committed to X or Y. We shielded our consumers."
"We have not allowed international turmoil to reach our kitchens."
Energy Minister Hardeep Singh Puri explained how India managed the energy crisis during the Gulf War.
This is what is making Congress and the Soros gang angry, not his picture with Epstein.
UPA-era journalists either marry UPA politicians or become MPs from UPA parties, yet audaciously call others Godi media as if they aren't the original lapdogs.
Not a single Indian leftist cares about things like NavIC launch or semicon or any tech advancements India makes
But Gaza mein kuch ho jaaye toh aise chillate h jaise unke khud ke ghar jal gaya
Using a single incident as an excuse to attack our 5000 year old civilization reveals her true agenda: unadulterated hatred for Hinduism. Absolutely vile and disgusting woman.
Everyone's sharing that India just got its own GPS. The real story is better.
We've had NavIC for years. On Friday night, ISRO started bringing it back to full strength. NavIC needs at least 4 working satellites to work on its own. A few older ones had lost their atomic clocks, and NVS 02 couldn't reach its slot last year, so the system had slipped below that minimum. GSLV F18 just put NVS 03 up, which puts us on track to get back to 4.
This matters more than it sounds. GPS belongs to the US military, and during Kargil India was denied GPS data when it needed it most. Today our maps, shipping, fishermen's alerts, power grids, bank timestamps and defence systems all depend on satellite timing. NavIC means India controls that for itself.
NVS-03 also carries an atomic clock made in India. Not long ago, we imported every one. Next, the satellite climbs to its parking spot, with NVS-04 and NVS-05 lined up after that.
Steady progress, lessons learnt from setbacks, and a system getting stronger with every launch.
Well done, Team ISRO 🇮🇳