I heard somewhere *Understanding the Difference between 15th August and 26th January* On 15th August, Prime Minister will hoist the national flag to honour the historical event of India’s Independence. On 26th January, Republic Day, the President of India unfurls the flag on Rajpath before presiding over a parade. While both the events honour and pay respect to the national flag and might look the same in one way or another, but there are some differences in the ceremonies. On Independence Day, the hoisting of the flag signifies the rise of a new nation, free from colonial domination. On Republic Day, the country celebrates the day when the Constitution was adopted. The positioning of the flag matters a lot! One can spot the difference in unfurling and hoisting in the positioning of the flag. When the national flag hoists, it is tied and sits at the bottom of the pole. It is the Prime Minister who raises the national flag up and hoists it with the aim to honour the historical event of the day. Whereas, when the flag is unfurled on Republic Day, it is closed and tied at the top of the pole. The President unfurls it without pulling the flag up as it takes place on Independence Day. The difference between the two ceremonies is that when India became Republic, it was already Independent.