The 4th day of the UBC coincides with America’s Independence Day.

The participants have been asked to consider this a holiday and post a patriotic picture instead.

Actually, today is holiday in my part of the world – the start of Lord Vishnu’s four month vacation.Strangely, this holiday is marked by a day of fasting rather than feasting ! This is to remind us that the four months ahead are rough, as we have to look out for ourselves.

Getting back to the challenge, I’d like to share the picture of our National Flag or the Tiranga that is particularly flying high today with the visit of our Prime Minister to Tel Aviv.

India and Israel share ancient ties by the way. Did you know that Jewish traders arrived in Cochin as early as 562 BC ? Did you also know that there was a Jewish settlement in Cochin in 70 CE ?

Today I felt a sense of pride as I saw our flag fluttering at the Veteran’s Memorial in Pune.

For those who don’t know the symbolism of our flag I would like to quote Dr.Radhakrishnan, our 2nd President .

 Bhagwa or the saffron colour denotes renunciation or disinterestedness. Our leaders must be indifferent to material gains and dedicate themselves to their work. The white in the centre is light, the path of truth to guide our conduct. The green shows our relation to (the) soil, our relation to the plant life here, on which all other life depends. The “Ashoka Chakra” in the centre of the white is the wheel of the law of dharma. Truth or satya, dharma or virtue ought to be the controlling principle of those who work under this flag. Again, the wheel denotes motion. There is death in stagnation. There is life in movement. India should no more resist change, it must move and go forward. The wheel represents the dynamism of a peaceful change.

Indeed I can’t think of any symbol more patriotic than a national flag . Can you ?

Ps . Hope you have a happy 4th !