Flag of India in the context of "Tricolour (flag)"

The Declaration of Purna Swaraj or Declaration of the Independence of India was a resolution which was passed by the Indian National Congress in 1930 because of the dissatisfaction among the Indian masses regarding the British offer of Dominion status to India. The word Purna Swaraj was derived from Sanskrit पूर्ण (Pūrṇa) 'Complete' and स्वराज (Svarāja) 'Self-rule or Sovereignty'. It was promulgated by the Indian National Congress, resolving the Congress and Indian nationalists to fight for Purna Swaraj, or complete self-rule/total independence from the British rule.

The flag of India was hoisted by Jawaharlal Nehru on 31 December 1929 on the banks of Ravi river, in Lahore. The Congress asked the people of India to observe 26 January as Independence Day (see Legacy). The flag of India was hoisted publicly across India by Congress volunteers and the general public who aspired for self-governance and wanted to achieve independence. Two decades later, the 26th day of January became the nation's Republic Day.

Bhikhaiji Rustom Cama (24 September 1861 – 13 August 1936) or simply as, Madam Cama, was one of the prominent figures in the Indian independence movement. She unfurled one of the earliest versions of the flag of independent India on August 22, 1907 and she was the first person to hoist an Indian flag in a foreign nation, at the International Socialist Conference at Stuttgart.

Independence Day is celebrated annually on 15 August as a public holiday in India commemorating the nation's independence from the United Kingdom on 15 August 1947. On this day the Indian Independence Act 1947 came into effect, transferring legislative sovereignty to the Indian Constituent Assembly. India attained independence following the independence movement noted for largely non-violent resistance and civil disobedience led by Indian National Congress under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi.

Independence coincided with the partition of India, in which British India was divided into the Dominions of India and Pakistan; the partition was accompanied by violent riots and mass casualties. On 15 August 1947, the first Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru raised the Indian national flag above the Lahori Gate of the Red Fort in Delhi. On each subsequent Independence Day, the incumbent Prime Minister customarily raises the flag and gives an address to the nation. The entire event is broadcast by Doordarshan, India's national broadcaster, and usually begins with the shehnai music of Ustad Bismillah Khan. Independence Day is observed throughout India with flag-hoisting ceremonies, parades and cultural events. It is a national holiday in the country.

Indian nationalism is an instance of civic nationalism. It is inclusive of all of the people of India, despite their diverse ethnic, linguistic and religious backgrounds. Indian nationalism can trace roots to pre-colonial India, but was fully developed during the Indian independence movement which campaigned against nearly two centuries of British rule. Indian nationalism quickly rose to popularity in India through these united anti-colonial coalitions and movements. Independence movement figures like Mahatma Gandhi, Subhas Chandra Bose, and Jawaharlal Nehru spearheaded the Indian nationalist movement, with the Indian National Congress playing a major role.

India's independence in 1947 was coupled with separation from Muslim-majority Pakistan, with that nation being carved out of British India's northwestern and eastern regions. Afterwards, Prime Minister Nehru and his successors continued to campaign on Indian nationalism in the face of border wars with both China and Pakistan, with the latter clashing several times over the Kashmir border region. After the Indo-Pakistani war of 1971 and the Bangladesh Liberation War, which resulted in East Pakistan's independence, Indian nationalism reached its post-independence peak. However by the 1980s, religious tensions reached a boiling point, the Indian National Congress lost its political dominance and became more authoritarian, and Indian nationalism sluggishly collapsed in the following decades. Despite its decline and the rise of religious nationalism, Indian nationalism and its historic figures continue to strongly influence the politics of India and reflect an opposition to the sectarian strands of Hindu nationalism and Muslim nationalism.

The Delhi Republic Day parade is the largest and most important of the parades marking the Republic Day celebrations in India. The parade takes place every year on 26 January at Kartavya Path, New Delhi. It is the main attraction of India's Republic Day celebrations, which last for three days. The first parade was held in 1950, and it has been held every year since. The cultural pageant is a symbol of a diverse but united India.

The parade marches from the Rashtrapati Bhavan on the Kartavya Path to India Gate and from there to Red Fort. It opens with the unfurling of the national flag by the President of India. This is followed by marching from several regiments of the Army, Navy, and Air Force, along with their bands, and tableaux from various states signifying their cultures are displayed. A beating retreat ceremony signifies the end of the parade.

The Government of India has designated official national symbols that represent the Republic of India. These symbols serve as the representation of the identity of the country. When India obtained independence from the British Raj on 15 August 1947, the tricolour flag officially became the first national symbol of the Dominion of India. The Indian Rupee which was in circulation earlier was adopted as the official legal tender after independence. The official state emblem with the motto Satyameva Jayate was adopted later on 30 December 1947. The national anthem and song were adopted two days before the Constitution of India was adopted on 26 January 1950. After India became a republic following the enactment of the constitution, the national symbols officially came to represent the Republic of India. The last to be adopted as a national symbol was the national microbe Lactobacillus delbrueckii in October 2012.