Independence Day (India)

The national flag of India hoisted on a wall adorned with domes and minarets.
The flag of India hoisted at the Red Fort in Delhi; hoisted flags are a common sight on Independence Day.
Observed byIndia
TypePublic
SignificanceCommemorates the independence of India
CelebrationsFlag hoisting, parade, fireworks, singing patriotic songs and the National Anthem Jana Gana Mana, speech by the Prime Minister of India and the President of India
Date15 August
Next time15 August 2025 (2025-08-15)
FrequencyAnnual
First time15 August 1947 (1947-08-15)
Related toRepublic Day

Independence Day is celebrated annually on 15 August as a public holiday in India commemorating the nation's independence from the United Kingdom on 15 August 1947, the day when the provisions of the Indian Independence Act, which transferred legislative sovereignty to the Indian Constituent Assembly, came into effect. India attained independence following the independence movement noted for largely non-violent resistance and civil disobedience led by Indian National Congress under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi.[1]

Independence coincided with the partition of India,[2] in which British India was divided into the Dominions of India and Pakistan; the partition was accompanied by violent riots and mass casualties. On 15 August 1947, the first Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru raised the Indian national flag above the Lahori Gate of the Red Fort in Delhi. On each subsequent Independence Day, the incumbent Prime Minister customarily raises the flag and gives an address to the nation.[3] The entire event is broadcast by Doordarshan, India's national broadcaster, and usually begins with the shehnai music of Ustad Bismillah Khan. Independence Day is observed throughout India with flag-hoisting ceremonies, parades and cultural events. It is a national holiday in the country.[4][5][6]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference metcalf conc was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Chakraborty, Yogabrata (15 August 2023). "মধ্যরাতে স্বাধীনতার সূর্যোদয়" [The sunrise of freedom at midnight]. dainikstatesmannews.com (in Bengali). Kolkata: Dainik Statesman (The Statesman Group). p. 6. Retrieved 26 August 2023.
  3. ^ PTI (15 August 2013). "Manmohan first PM outside Nehru-Gandhi clan to hoist flag for 10th time". Archived 21 December 2013 at the Wayback Machine. The Hindu. Retrieved 30 August 2013.
  4. ^ "Terror strike feared in Delhi ahead of Independence Day : MM-National, News". India Today. 5 August 2015. Archived from the original on 7 August 2015. Retrieved 13 August 2015.
  5. ^ "69th Independence Day: Security Tightened at Red Fort as Terror Threat Looms Large on PM Modi". Ibtimes.co.in. 28 February 2015. Archived from the original on 14 August 2015. Retrieved 13 August 2015.
  6. ^ "Independence Day of India, 15 August 2020: History, Significance, Facts and Celebration". The Times of India. Retrieved 15 August 2020.

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