The Indian Navy has switched to a new ensign
The Indian Navy today switched to a new ensign at the launch of the country's first homemade aircraft carrier INS Vikrant. One of the design elements honours Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the founder of the Maratha kingdom who had a naval fleet.
Here are the five latest facts on Indian Navy's new ensign
The new ensign has the national flag on the upper canton. A blue octagonal shape with the national emblem sits atop an anchor, superimposed on a shield with the navy's motto.
"The octagonal shape with twin golden borders draws inspiration from the seal of the great Indian emperor, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, whose visionary maritime outlook established a credible naval fleet," the navy said in video showcasing the new ensign.
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's fleet comprised "60 fighting ships and approximately 5,000 men. The rising Maratha naval power during Shivaji Maharaj's period was the first to secure the coastline against external aggression," the navy said in the video.
The navy said the blue octagonal shape represents the eight directions symbolising the Indian Navy's multidirectional reach and multidimensional operational capability. The anchor symbol represents "steadfastness", the navy said.
"Till today the Indian naval flags carried a sign of slavery, which has been replaced with a new one inspired by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, before he commissioned INS Vikrant. The old ensign had the red Saint George's Cross, linked to India's colonial past.
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