Lion Coin Rubbing (Emblem)
Place a coin under a sheet of paper and gently rub a crayon over it until the lions appear.
10 mins · Ages 3–6
LEARNING ACTIVITIES · MEET ALL 17 SYMBOLS
India's Symbol Trail: 17 National Symbols of India for Kids
An interactive field guide, passport and playtime adventure for little explorers.
Begin the TrailTHE FIELD GUIDE
Why We Collect These Symbols
Long before a child can read a map, they can spot a peacock's feather, point to a tiger in a picture book, or notice the tricolour fluttering outside a building and ask, "What is that?" That curiosity is the beginning of belonging. At Rainbow Preschool International, we believe a child's love for their country doesn't start with a history lesson — it starts with noticing the world around them, one small discovery at a time.
India has 17 widely recognised national symbols — from the Tiranga flag to the gentle Ganges river dolphin — each one a small window into the country's culture, wildlife and identity. This guide turns all 17 into a playful trail: sort them into three explorer zones, meet each one through a simple field-guide card, solve a few riddles, play a matching game, and even fill your own printable Symbol Passport along the way.
Ready for more age-appropriate discovery? Explore our Kindergarten programme, About Rainbow Preschool and Our Nursery curriculum.
List of 17 national symbols of India
National Anthem — Jana Gana Mana
National Calendar — Saka Calendar
National Animal — Royal Bengal Tiger
National Bird — Indian Peacock
National Aquatic Animal — Ganges River Dolphin
“A child who can name the peacock, the banyan tree and the tricolour flag is already falling in love with India — one small discovery at a time.” — Rainbow Preschool International
EXPLORER ZONE
Zone 1 — The Nation's Identity
These are the symbols India chose for itself — a flag, a song, a promise, a sign on every coin. They tell the story of who we are as one country made of many people.
National Flag — Tiranga
राष्ट्रीय ध्वज (तिरंगा)
Explorer Fact: The flag has three colours and a wheel with 24 spokes called the Ashoka Chakra — adopted on 22 July 1947.
Saffron stands for courage, white stands for peace and truth, and green stands for growth and land. The blue wheel in the middle is called the Ashoka Chakra — it has 24 spokes, like the hours in a day, and reminds us that India keeps moving forward.
Try This: Want to make your own Tiranga? We've put a full step-by-step flag craft in our Independence Day guide — hop over after you finish the trail!
National Emblem
राष्ट्रीय प्रतीक
Explorer Fact: The emblem shows four lions standing back-to-back, though only three are ever visible at once. It was adopted on 26 January 1950 and comes from a stone pillar built by Emperor Ashoka over 2,000 years ago.
Our national emblem has four lions standing back-to-back, though we can only see three at a time. Underneath is written "Satyameva Jayate," which means "Truth Alone Triumphs." It comes from a very old stone pillar built by an emperor named Ashoka.
Try This: Try a coin rubbing — place a coin under paper and gently rub a crayon over it to reveal the lions.
National Anthem — Jana Gana Mana
राष्ट्रगान (जन गण मन)
Explorer Fact: Jana Gana Mana was written by the poet Rabindranath Tagore and takes about 52 seconds to sing from start to end.
Our national anthem was written by a poet named Rabindranath Tagore. It takes almost exactly 52 seconds to sing — try timing it next time!
Try This: Practise standing tall and still for 52 seconds — see if you can do it without wiggling! Republic Day activities for kids.
National Song — Vande Mataram
राष्ट्रीय गीत (वन्दे मातरम्)
Explorer Fact: Vande Mataram means "I bow to thee, Mother" and comes from a novel called Anandamath, written by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay in 1882.
Vande Mataram was written inside a story-book almost 150 years ago! In 1950, it was declared just as special as our national anthem.
Try This: Ask a grandparent if they remember singing this at school — a lovely way to start a conversation.
National Pledge
राष्ट्रीय प्रतिज्ञा
Explorer Fact: The pledge begins, "India is my country and all Indians are my brothers and sisters." It was written by Pydimarri Venkata Subba Rao and has been recited in schools since 1965.
The pledge is a promise about loving our country and being kind to every Indian, like one big family. Children have been saying it every morning since 1965!
Try This: Make up your own two-line "kindness pledge" together — what would your child promise to do for their friends?
National Currency Symbol — ₹
रुपया चिह्न (₹)
Explorer Fact: The ₹ symbol was designed by D. Udaya Kumar and was officially chosen in 2010. It blends the Devanagari letter "र" with a horizontal line.
This symbol was designed by a real design student and chosen especially for India in 2010, so our money would have its own special sign — just like the $ for dollars.
Try This: Go on a "symbol hunt" through your coin jar or wallet together and spot the ₹ sign.
National Calendar — Saka Calendar
राष्ट्रीय पंचांग (शक संवत)
Explorer Fact: Alongside the regular calendar on our walls, the Indian government also uses a special calendar called the Saka calendar, adopted in 1957, for official work.
Most of us use the regular calendar with January, February and so on. But India's government also keeps a second calendar, called the Saka calendar, that started a very long time ago and is still used today.
EXPLORER ZONE
Zone 2 — The Wild Trail
India shares its land with some extraordinary animals. These five were chosen to represent the country's wild beauty — spot them at the zoo, in a book, or even on your next holiday.
National Animal — Royal Bengal Tiger
राष्ट्रीय पशु (बाघ)
Explorer Fact: India is home to roughly 3 out of every 4 wild tigers left on Earth (about 70–75% of the world's population). The tiger became our national animal in 1972.
More wild tigers live in India than in any other country in the world. That's why keeping their forests safe is so important for the whole planet.
Try This: Paint orange and black stripes on a paper plate to make your own tiger mask.
National Bird — Indian Peacock
राष्ट्रीय पक्षी (मोर)
Explorer Fact: Only the male peacock has the giant, colourful tail — he fans it out and dances to impress a peahen! It was declared our national bird in 1963.
Did you know only boy peacocks have the giant colourful tail? He spreads it open like a fan and dances, especially when rain is on the way.
Try This: Trace your hand and turn the fingers into peacock feathers with paint.
National Aquatic Animal — Ganges River Dolphin
राष्ट्रीय जलीय जीव (गंगा डॉल्फ़िन)
Explorer Fact: This gentle dolphin is almost blind — it finds its way and its food using sound, like a whisper-quiet radar. It was declared our national aquatic animal in 2010.
This dolphin can barely see with its eyes, but it "sees" with sound instead — it sends out clicks and listens for them to bounce back, a bit like how bats find their way in the dark.
Try This: Play an echolocation game — close your eyes and try to find a clapping friend by sound alone!
National Reptile — King Cobra
राष्ट्रीय सरीसृप (किंग कोबरा)
Explorer Fact: The King Cobra is the longest venomous snake in the world — and despite its fearsome reputation, it usually avoids people and only defends itself if threatened. It's popularly known as India's national reptile, though — unlike the flag or the tiger — this isn't an official government title.
The King Cobra is famous for being the longest venomous snake on Earth. Like most wild animals, it would rather hide from us than meet us — we admire it from books and glass enclosures at the zoo, not up close.
Try This: Draw a long, winding snake path on paper and see how far you can make it stretch!
National Heritage Animal — Indian Elephant
राष्ट्रीय धरोहर पशु (हाथी)
Explorer Fact: Elephants have excellent memories and live in caring family herds led by the oldest female. The elephant was declared our National Heritage Animal in 2010.
Elephant herds are led by the oldest, wisest female, called the matriarch, and the whole family helps look after the babies together — a bit like a big, caring family.
Try This: Make an elephant handprint — palm as the head, fingers spread out as the trunk and ears!
EXPLORER ZONE
Zone 3 — The Nature Garden
From a flower that blooms in mud to a mighty tree with a thousand roots, these symbols come from India's gardens, orchards and riverbanks.
National Flower — Lotus
राष्ट्रीय पुष्प (कमल)
Explorer Fact: Even though almost everyone believes the lotus is India's official national flower, the government has confirmed in Parliament that no such official notification has ever been issued. It's the country's much-loved, traditionally recognised flower — just not a formal title.
The lotus grows up through muddy water and still opens into a perfectly clean, beautiful flower — which is why people say it reminds us that we can rise above anything messy or difficult.
Try This: Make a lotus stamp print using a cut potato dipped in pink and white paint.
National Fruit — Mango
राष्ट्रीय फल (आम)
Explorer Fact: India grows more mangoes than any other country — over 1,000 different varieties. It's traditionally called the "king of fruits," though, like the lotus, it has no official government title.
India grows over a thousand kinds of mangoes — imagine tasting a different one every day for years! That's why it's lovingly called the "king of fruits."
National Tree — Banyan
राष्ट्रीय वृक्ष (बरगद)
Explorer Fact: A banyan tree grows new roots down from its own branches, and those roots grow into new trunks — so one banyan tree can eventually look like an entire forest. It's traditionally, though not officially, recognised as India's national tree.
A banyan tree keeps growing new roots from its branches down to the ground, and those roots turn into new trunks — one single tree can spread out and look like a whole grove!
Try This: Take a leaf rubbing — place a leaf under paper and rub gently with a crayon to reveal its veins.
National Vegetable — Pumpkin
राष्ट्रीय सब्ज़ी (कद्दू)
Explorer Fact: Pumpkin has no official government title either, but it's a much-loved, popularly recognised symbol thanks to how common, colourful and useful it is in Indian kitchens.
Pumpkins are full of seeds — hundreds of them inside just one pumpkin! One single plant can grow enough to help feed a whole family.
Try This: Scoop, count and wash pumpkin seeds together — a wonderfully messy sensory activity.
National River — Ganga
राष्ट्रीय नदी (गंगा)
Explorer Fact: The Ganga was officially declared India's National River in November 2008. Millions of people depend on it every day for water, farming and daily life.
The Ganga begins high up in the snowy Himalayas and travels a very long way before reaching the sea, giving water to millions of people, plants and animals along the way. That's why we try to keep it clean.
Try This: Talk about one simple way your family can save water at home this week.
17 or 20 national symbols of India?
You may see lists of 17, 20 or more national symbols. This guide covers 17 widely recognised symbols. Longer lists often add India's national motto, 'Satyameva Jayate' ('Truth Alone Triumphs'), which appears below the national emblem, and sometimes a national game. Many lists name hockey as India's national game, but the Government of India has not officially declared a national game.
EXPLORER'S SECRET
Did You Know?
Most people think the lotus is India's official national flower — even some grown-ups! But the government has clarified that it was never formally notified. The same is true for the mango, the banyan tree, the pumpkin and the king cobra — they're all much-loved, traditionally recognised symbols, but not official government titles like the flag, the anthem or the tiger. We think that makes them even more fun to learn about — loving a symbol doesn't need an official stamp!
SAY IT ALOUD
Guess the Symbol!
Read the riddle aloud, let your little explorer guess, then tap to reveal the answer.
PLAY TOGETHER
Match the Symbol
Tap an illustration and then match it with the correct national symbol name. Complete all the pairs to test how well you know India's national symbols.
Illustrations
Names
For little explorers, visit our Playgroup programme.
MAKE & REMEMBER
Craft Trail: Make a Symbol With Your Hands
Note: the flag craft isn't repeated here — it already has a full step-by-step guide on our Independence Day blog; this trail links to it instead.
Zone 1 — The Nation's Identity
₹ Symbol Stamp Card (Currency)
Cut a sponge into the ₹ shape, dip in paint, and stamp it onto a handmade greeting card.
15 mins · Ages 2–5
Zone 2 — The Wild Trail
Stripy Tiger Mask
Paint orange and black stripes on a paper plate, cut eye-holes, and attach elastic string.
20 mins · Ages 3–6
Handprint Peacock
Paint a handprint in blues and greens, then add a peacock body and googly eye.
15 mins · Ages 2–5
Elephant Handprint
Grey paint on the palm (head) with spread fingers (trunk and ears).
15 mins · Ages 1.5–4
Zone 3 — The Nature Garden
Potato-Print Lotus
Carve a potato half into a petal shape, dip in pink and white paint, and print a blooming lotus.
20 mins · Ages 3–6
Banyan Leaf Rubbing
Place a real leaf under paper and rub gently with a crayon to reveal its veins.
10 mins · Ages 2–6
Pumpkin Seed Sensory Bin
Scoop, count and wash real pumpkin seeds in a bowl with small cups and spoons.
20 mins · Ages 1.5–4
TAKE IT HOME
Free Printable: Your Symbol Passport
Turn this whole trail into a keepsake! Download our free Symbol Passport — a foldable, printable booklet with a stamp box for all 17 symbols. After your child learns about a symbol, let them colour in its stamp box. By the end, they'll have a passport full of proud little stamps — and a wonderful record of everything they've discovered about India.
Print on A4, fold along the marked lines, and staple once down the spine to make a mini booklet.
Download the Free Symbol Passport (PDF)JUNIOR EXPLORER
SYMBOL
PASSPORT
KEEP EXPLORING
Where to Explore Next
This trail is just one part of how we bring India to life at Rainbow Preschool International. If you're getting ready for a festival, here's where to go next:
Preparing for 15 August? Visit our full Independence Day 2026 guide for speeches, rhymes, craft ideas and more.
Preparing for 26 January? Visit our Republic Day 2026 guide for the parade, simple speeches and family activities.
This Symbol Trail, though, is designed to be read any day of the year — it's less about one date, and more about getting to know India, one symbol at a time.
QUESTIONS FROM EXPLORERS
Frequently Asked Questions
India is widely recognised to have 17 national symbols, covering everything from the flag and anthem to wildlife and nature: the National Flag, Emblem, Anthem, Song, Pledge, Currency Symbol, Calendar, Animal (Tiger), Bird (Peacock), Aquatic Animal (River Dolphin), Reptile (King Cobra), Heritage Animal (Elephant), Flower (Lotus), Fruit (Mango), Tree (Banyan), Vegetable (Pumpkin) and River (Ganga). A few of these, like the lotus and mango, are traditionally recognised rather than formally gazetted by the government — we've marked those clearly throughout this guide.
You may see lists of 17, 20 or more national symbols, but this guide covers 17 widely recognised symbols. Longer lists often add India's national motto, 'Satyameva Jayate' ('Truth Alone Triumphs'), which appears below the national emblem, and sometimes a national game; however, the Government of India has not officially declared a national game.
Start with the flag, peacock, tiger, lotus, mango and the ₹ sign, which children can easily spot, then add the anthem, emblem and banyan tree as they grow.
Most preschools start with the National Flag, since children usually see it first — outside school, at assemblies, or on 15 August and 26 January. Its three simple colours and one shape (the Ashoka Chakra) make it an easy, visual starting point before moving on to the wildlife and nature symbols.
India's national animal is the Royal Bengal Tiger and its national bird is the Indian Peacock — both official government designations. The lotus (flower) and mango (fruit) are the country's traditionally loved choices, though neither has ever been formally notified by the government.
The Lion Capital of Ashoka was chosen as India's national emblem on 26 January 1950 because it once crowned a stone pillar built by Emperor Ashoka over 2,000 years ago, and its motto, 'Satyameva Jayate' ('Truth Alone Triumphs'), reflected the values of the newly independent nation.
Saffron represents courage and sacrifice, white represents peace and truth, and green represents growth and the land. The navy-blue wheel in the centre, the Ashoka Chakra, has 24 spokes and represents continuous progress.
The full version of Jana Gana Mana takes approximately 52 seconds to sing. A shorter version, using only the first and last lines, takes about 20 seconds and is sometimes used at shorter events.
Children can start recognising simple symbols like the flag and the peacock from around age 2–3, through pictures, colours and songs. Around age 4–5, they can begin to understand the 'why' behind a few symbols, such as the meaning of the flag's colours, in very simple words.
You can say, 'It's our country's special stamp with lions on it — you can find it on coins!' That's enough for a toddler; the fuller story (Ashoka's pillar, the motto) can wait until they're a little older.
Hands-on crafts tied to a specific symbol work best — a coin rubbing for the emblem, a handprint peacock, a potato-print lotus, or a leaf rubbing for the banyan tree. Making something with their hands helps a symbol stick in a child's memory far better than just being told about it.
No — this is one of the most common myths. India's Constitution does not declare any single national language; Hindi and English are the two official languages used by the central government, alongside 22 other scheduled languages recognised across the country.
A national symbol (like the flag, the tiger or the lotus) is a lasting emblem that represents the country all year round, while a national festival (like Independence Day or Republic Day) is a specific date on which the country celebrates a historic event. Many symbols, like the flag, appear especially prominently during festivals.
Rainbow Preschool International follows a play-based curriculum aligned with NEP 2020, where children learn through stories, crafts and songs. You're welcome to book a visit at any of our 6 centres in Thane.
OUR RAINBOW FAMILY
Explore More at Rainbow Schools
Ages 1.5–5.5 Years · Thane
Rainbow Preschool International
Give your little explorer the most joyful start to their learning journey. Experienced, caring early-years faculty, smart classrooms, CCTV-enabled safety, and a warm atmosphere where curiosity is always welcome.
Nursery to Grade 12 · CBSE
Rainbow International School
Looking ahead to primary and secondary education? Our sister institution, Rainbow International School, offers a seamless CBSE-affiliated K–12 pathway from Nursery to Class 12 in Thane West.
Happy Exploring from Rainbow Preschool International!
Every symbol your child learns is a small step toward loving the country they call home. Come see how we bring India — and the whole world — to life in our classrooms.