Gujarat: 1100 feet-long flag unfurled in Surat

Surat (Gujarat): With the country engrossed in the celebrations of the 72nd Independence Day, one of the longest national flags in the country was on Wednesday unfurled in Gujarat's Surat city.

An 1100 feet-long, 9 feet-wide tricolour flag was unfurled with thousands of people taking part in a 5 km-long 'Shaan-e-Tiranga' rally, organised by the Agrawal Vikas Trust. The idea behind the rally was to deliver the message that nationalism was greater than any religion as people from various religious communities came together to take part in it. This was the biggest 'Tiranga Yatra' organised in Gujarat so far.

The flag was made from a 5000 meter-long cloth, and it took 12 days for 200 people to produce the flag. The dyes used in the making of the flag were specially imported from Germany.

Speaking to ANI, president of the trust's women wing Deepa Kediya said, "We have been preparing for nearly three months for this rally. Our Yuva Shakha (youth wing) has contributed a lot towards this rally. We have been supported by around 150 NGOs for this rally."

Elsewhere, the Attari-Wagah border, in Amritsar, has been illuminated with saffron, white and green, the three colours of the national flag. In Delhi, government offices including Parliament house, Vayu Bhawan, North and South Blocks have also been illuminated with the tricolours.

Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus and Moradabad railway station, among others, have also been brightly lit up.