Maharashtra's largest tricolour unfurled in NDA

Pune, April 28 (IANS) The largest tricolour in Maharashtra, measuring 30x20 feet and weighing nine kg was Saturday unfurled on a 100-ft pole at the prestigious National Defence Academy (NDA) here, an official said.

A large number of NDA cadets and officers witnessed the unique ceremony where the 600-square feet huge national flag was unfurled. The NDA was gifted the tricolour by the Flag Foundation of India (FFI), said FFI Chief Executive Officer Commander (Retd) K.V. Singh.

'Made of knitted polyester, weighing nine kg, it is till date the largest dimension national flag to be flown in Maharashtra,' Singh told IANS. The flag was unfurled on a 100-ft pole, which was also gifted by FFI.

Prior to this, two months ago, President Pratibha Patil had unfurled by remote control device, the country's largest tricolour - measuring 90x60 feet - on a 206 feet tall pole, in Kurukshetra.

The FFI has already installed another 10 huge flags - measuring 72x48 feet - in different parts of India, Singh said.

Singh said FFI plans to install a 90x60 feet flag in Mumbai soon for permanent display. It will be manufactured by a private company, Flag Shop, Mumbai, which specialises in making giant flags.

'The sea-front location has already been identified and we are in the process of completing other official formalities,' he said.

Visible from a long distance in the city, it will be on permanent display and will be illuminated at night as per existing flag protocols.

The 30x20 flag is the sixth FFI venture in the country, including in army units and Southern Command, Pune, Bhopal, Hissar, Mathura, Jhansi and now NDA, Pune.

Present on the momentous occasion were Lt. Gen. A.K. Singh, GOC-in-C Southern Command, Lt. Gen. Jatinder Singh, Rear Admiral Anand Iyer, MP Naveen Jindal and other officials.