India is a country in South Asia. It is made up of 28 states and 8 union territories. Most of the states and union territories of India have their own state emblem, seal or coat of arms which is used as an official governmental symbol, while five states and five union territories use the National Emblem of India as their official governmental seal.
Some of the autonomous administrative divisions established by the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution of India have adopted their own symbols.
The State Emblem of India is the national emblem of the Republic of India and is used by the union government, many state governments, and other government agencies. The emblem is an adaptation of the Lion Capital of Ashoka, an ancient sculpture dating back to 280 BCE during the Maurya Empire. The statue is a three dimensional emblem showing four lions. It became the emblem of the Dominion of India in December 1947, and later the emblem of the Republic of India. The State Emblem of India is an official seal of the Government of India. It is used as the national emblem of India and appears on official documents, currency and passports.
The flags of British India were varied, and the British Empire used several different banners during the period of its rule in the Indian subcontinent. Flags incorporating the Star of India emblem in their design are often referred to as the Star of India flag, and were used to represent India itself and high offices in the British Raj. The Royal Indian Navy also flew a blue jack flag bearing the Star of India. The East India Company, which ruled India prior to 1858, used a flag featuring the Union Jack with red and white stripes.
The Emblem of Sikkim is currently used as the official seal of the Government of Sikkim, India. It was earlier used as the coat of arms of the House of Namgyal and the Kingdom of Sikkim. The emblem is known as the Kham-sum-wangdu. It was designed in 1877 by Robert Taylor.
The Emblem of Tamil Nadu is the official state emblem of Tamil Nadu and is used as the official state symbol of the Government of Tamil Nadu.
A national emblem is an emblem or seal that is reserved for use by a nation state or multi-national state as a symbol of that nation. Many nations have a seal or emblem in addition to a national flag.
A national coat of arms is a symbol which denotes an independent state in the form of a heraldic achievement. While a national flag is usually used by the population at large and is flown outside and on ships, a national coat of arms is normally considered a symbol of the government or the head of state personally and tends to be used in print, on armorial ware, and as a wall decoration in official buildings. The royal arms of a monarchy, which may be identical to the national arms, are sometimes described as arms of dominion or arms of sovereignty.
The Emblem of Uttarakhand is the official state seal used by the Government of Uttarakhand and is carried on all official correspondences made by State of Uttarakhand. It was adopted by the newly formed Interim Government of Uttarakhand at the establishment of the state on 9 November 2000.
The Emblem of Uttar Pradesh is the official seal of the government of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. The emblem was originally designed in 1916 for the then United Provinces of Agra and Oudh and continued in use following Indian Independence in 1947.
The Emblem of Jammu and Kashmir is an official symbol used to represent the government of Jammu and Kashmir, a region administered by India as a union territory.
The Emblem of Chandigarh is the official seal of the government of the Indian union territory of Chandigarh.
The Emblem of Punjab is the official state emblem of the Indian state of Punjab and it is used as the official symbol of the Government of Punjab.