Suryapath Tiranga links 54 Indian missions in global I-Day relay
'Suryapath Tiranga', a first-of-its-kind campaign involving over 50 Indian missions from east to west, under which images of the tricolour were being "digitally relayed" across multiple time zones, was held on Saturday to mark the country's 80th Independence Day.
The unique global relay began with the Indian High Commission in Suva in Fiji and ended with the Indian consulate in San Francisco in the US, connecting 54 missions and posts across countries and continents and turning the movement of the sun into a "symbolic journey of the 'tiranga' across the globe," officials said.
The 'Suryapath Tiranga' created a remarkable chain of flag-hoisting ceremonies "spanning more than 19 hours", geographically linking the Pacific, Asia, Africa, Europe and the Americas, they said.
In a spectacular global celebration of India's Independence Day, the special initiative under 'Har Ghar Tiranga', the campaign carried the spirit of the national flag across the world, following the path of the rising sun from Fiji at 1.30 am IST to San Francisco at 8.30 pm IST, the Ministry of Culture said in a statement.
Beginning in Suva, the campaign moved successively through New Zealand, Australia, Japan, South Korea, China, Indonesia, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka and the Maldives.
The relay then continued westward through Central and West Asia, including Uzbekistan, Oman, the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, before reaching Africa and Europe, it said.
Each successive flag-hoisting marked another chapter in the unfolding global celebration of India's Independence Day.
Mass singing of 'Vande Mataram' and the national anthem formed an integral part of the programmes hosted sequentially at these missions and posts, bringing together members of the Indian diaspora, officials and friends of India in a shared expression of patriotism, officials said.
"With the first rays of the sun, the Indian flag was raised first in Suva, Fiji, marking the beginning of the global Tiranga relay, 'Surya Path Tiranga' -- a symbolic journey carrying the spirit of India's Independence Day across the world," the High Commission of India in Fiji posted on X earlier in the day.
The Indian mission in Suva also shared some photos of the celebrations held in Fiji, several hours ahead of the main ceremonial event hosted at the Red Fort complex in Delhi.
Other Indian missions followed suit, commemorating the landmark occasion with flag-hoisting in their respective countries, and then tagging the next mission in the planned campaign, which was announced by the Indian government on August 7.
The initiative "reinforces the message that the #Tiranga transcends geographical boundaries, bringing together Indians and friends of India across the world," the Press Information Bureau (PIB) said in a statement.
Each Indian mission, after taking part in the campaign, posted images of the flag hoisting on its premises, thus symbolically pinning itself in the digital sequence, and tagged the next mission to carry forward the spirit.
"The Tiranga is set to rise from our shores at the break of dawn. Over to @HCICanberra to continue this historic journey of #SuryapathTiranga, carry the Indian Tricolour from one sunrise to the next, inspire Indians to spread the fervour of #HarGharTiranga," the High Commission of India to New Zealand posted on X about the event held around 1.45 am in Wellington.
"Committing ourselves to the service of our nation. #TeamMEA wishes all Indians, at home and abroad, a happy Independence Day. Let's reaffirm our collective resolve to fulfil the vision of Viksit Bharat @2047. #HappyIndependenceDay #HarGharTiranga," External Affairs Ministry's spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal posted on X.
The Indian Embassy in Beijing posted on X, "The Tiranga rises from our shores at the break of dawn. Over to @IndianEmbJkt to continue this historic journey of #SuryapathTiranga. Carry the Indian Tricolour from one sunrise to the next, and inspire Indians to spread the fervour of #HarGharTiranga."
