Ahead of R-Day, India’s largest tri-colour unfurled at Ranchi
The tallest and largest Indian national flag was hoisted on Saturday in Ranchi to coincide with the birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.
The tallest and largest Indian national flag was hoisted on Saturday in Ranchi to coincide with the birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, overtaking the flag at Faridabad.
Using a remote-controlled device, defence minister Manohar Parrikar unfurled the flag that measures 99x66 feet and is pegged atop a flag post 293 feet high in Ranchi.
“It’s a proud moment for the country,” Parrikar said, congratulating the state on its achievement. The minister was accompanied by the state chief minister Raghubar Das who said the flag was Ranchi’s “new identity”.
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The flagpost is situated at the Pahari temple, located atop the 250-foot-high Pahadi Hill in the heart of Ranchi. Earlier known as Phansi Tongri, it was where freedom fighters were hung by the British during the independence movement. Locals hoist the national flag here every January 26 and August 15 in tribute to the slain martyrs.
The project took more than 120 workers and 40 days to put up the flag post, costing an estimated Rs 1.25 crore, of which Rs 44 lakh was spent on the flag alone.
“The flag can tolerate the wind speed up to 44 metre per second. The highest speed recorded in the last 50 years in Ranchi is way below at 39 metres per second,” project in-charge JK Jha said, adding the pole is built of micro alloy steel that allows it to bend up to 10 feet. The pole is also earthquake resistant.
More than 10,000 students gathered for the flag hoisting ceremony at Morabadi grounds where 300 school students from Modern Public School at Jhumir Telaiya formed a human national flag.
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