New
Navy Flag &
Insignia
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A warship's suit of Colours
comprises the National Flag and the Naval Ensign.
These symbolise the State and the Navy respectively,
and are held in high reverence by all ranks,
indicating subordination to the Nation and the
Service. The association of Colours with heroic deeds
has caused them to be regarded with veneration. In a
sense, they epitomise the history of the Service.
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A
New Naval Ensign has been adopted by the Indian Navy
from 25 April 2004. A White Ensign, with a Horizontal Red Stripe and a Vertical Red Stripe intersecting at the center of the flag, a golden yellow State Emblem superimposed on the intersection, and the National Flag in the upper canton next to the staff.
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The Indian Naval White Ensign has
evolved from the White Ensign of the Royal Navy, which
itself developed over the centuries. The red St George's
Cross became an emblem of the Royal Navy after the
crusades. However, the background colour varied till
about the seventeenth century, when three colours viz.
white, red and blue, were adopted for the Ensign and
represented different sections of the Fleet. The
Squadron in the van was commanded by the White Admiral
and wore a White Ensign; the middle by the Red Admiral
with the Red Ensign; and the Rear became the Blue
Admiral's position with his Blue Ensign. The order of
seniority was red, white and blue, but was changed to
red, blue and white in 1653. However, during the Battle
of Trafalgar, Lord Nelson ordered the entire British
Fleet to hoist the White Ensign to avoid any possibility
of confusion. It was only in 1864 that the Royal Navy
adopted the White Ensign as its Colours. The Red Ensign
became the Colours of the Merchant Navy, and the
privilege of wearing a Blue Ensign was granted to naval
auxiliaries as well as merchant vessels commanded by
officers belonging to the Naval Reserve, or merchant
vessels having a prescribed percentage of ex-naval
personnel in their crew or those on charter to the Navy.
This tradition continues even today.
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On attaining Independence, the
White Ensign of the Indian Navy was modified in that the
colours of the British Flag in the upper canton were
replaced by the Indian Tri-Colour. In all other
respects, the Ensign remained the same as that of the
Royal Navy.
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T
he Ensign was later changed by the Indian Navy
on 15 August 2001. This Ensign consisted of the
National Flag superimposed on the Top Quarter adjoining
the flagstaff and a Navy Crest super imposed on the part
displaced away from the Flag Staff.
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The Naval Crest consists of the Ashoka
emblem, a foul anchor and a shield, and its navy blue
colour. Below the crest is the motto of the Service-
'Shano Varuna' - meaning 'May the Lord of the Oceans
be Auspicious Unto Us'.
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In India it is customary to acknowledge
the gift of nature by offering felicitations to its
presiding deity. Water is the greatest of such gifts
and Varuna is its presiding deity. And hence the Vedic
prayer 'Shano Varuna' - meaning 'Be Auspicious Unto Us,
oh Varuna!'.
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18 Mar 1952 is an important date in the
maritime history of India. It was then that Chakravarti
Rajagopalachari gave to the Indian Navy its motto -
'Shano Varuna' - meaning 'May the Lord of the Oceans
be Auspicious Unto Us'.
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More...
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