Next: 15 Aug 2027
Independence Day
India's 15 August national day, marked with flag hoisting, khadi and tricolour sarees.
What is worn for Independence Day
Independence Day, 15 August, marks the end of British rule in 1947. The Prime Minister hoists the flag at the Red Fort in Delhi and addresses the nation, and schools and offices across the country hold their own flag-raising. Many people wear the colours of the flag, saffron, white and green, and some wear khadi, the hand-spun, hand-woven cotton made a symbol of self-reliance by Mahatma Gandhi. Women often choose a handloom or cotton saree in the tricolour or in white. Because 7 August is National Handloom Day, the two occasions share a message, the support of weavers and of Indian cloth.
The sarees
Written by the EveryPallu desk with AI assistance. Background: "Independence Day (India)" on Wikipedia. Customs differ from place to place and family to family. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Sari: Suyash.dwivedi, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Khadi: Unknown author, Public domain, source