National Symbols of India: Which Are Official?

National symbols express a country's identity. India has several symbols adopted by the Constituent Assembly or designated by the Government, and a few others that are widely described as “national” without a formal notification. StateIcon labels each one accordingly.

Symbols adopted by the Constituent Assembly

• National Flag: the tricolour of saffron, white and green with the Ashoka Chakra, adopted on 22 July 1947.
• National Anthem: Jana Gana Mana by Rabindranath Tagore, adopted on 24 January 1950.
• National Song: Vande Mataram by Bankim Chandra Chatterji, given equal status with the anthem.

State Emblem

The State Emblem is an adaptation of the Lion Capital of Ashoka at Sarnath, with the motto Satyameva Jayate (“Truth alone triumphs”) below it. Its use is regulated by law.

Animals, birds and plants

Popular, but not formally designated

Some items are frequently called national symbols in quiz books and websites. The mango, for example, is widely described as the national fruit, but we have not found a formal government notification designating it, so StateIcon lists it as a popular association. If you know of an official notification, please send us the source.

Learn more

See the full list on our national and state symbols page, where each entry shows its designation status and source.