India flying

Country's largest monumental flag to come up at India Gate lawns. The flag, weighing 12 tonne will cost Rs 28 lakh

India flying

Country's largest monumental flag to come up at India Gate lawns. The flag, weighing 12 tonne will cost Rs 28 lakh

India Gate will shimmer again. Not with some extra lampposts installed at night, but with a huge tricolour monumental flag, which will soon adorn the famous lawns.u00a0u00a0u00a0

The Flag Foundation of India (FFI), founded by industrialist and Member of Parliament, Naveen Jindal, has recently proposed

installation of an 48X72 ft Indian tricolour the largest in India - at the India Gate lawns.

"As soon as the proposal gets a green signal from the government, we will start the work. We plan to install the flag before the city hosts Commonwealth Games in 2010," said Commander (retd) KV Singh, advisor, Flag Foundation of India.

The polyster-knitted flag is rain and dust resistant, and the flag rod and rope is made of high-tension steel. The gigantic flag will weigh around 12 tonnes and will cost a whopping Rs 28 lakh, including Rs 90,000 the cost of the fabric. The base diameter of the flag will be 1250 cms while it will acquire an area of 3500 square feet at the lawns.

"We have taken the help of Bajaj Electricals, a Pune-based company for the mechanization of the flag. The installation of monumental flags will take the movement of flag liberation a step ahead. Everybody would love it.
Besides, it would also become a huge tourist attraction," added Singh.u00a0u00a0

The country presently has two gigantic monumental flags installed in Kaithal (206 feet) and Ladwa (206 feet) in Haryana.

The FFI plans to install more flags in Kanyakumari, Arunachal Pradesh, Wagah Border, and on INS Vikranta at Mumbai port in next one year. "We will instate the flag in all major places and Metro cities," said Singh.