India Celebrates 67th Independence Day Thursday Aug 15,2013

President Pranab Mukherjee pay homage at the Amar Jawan Jyoti at the India Gate on the occasion of 67th Independence Day in New Delhi

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh addressing the nation from rampart of the historic Red Fort during the country's 67th Independence Day function, in New Delhi on Thursday Aug 15,2013

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh inspecting the Guard of Honour during the Independence Day celebrations at Red Fort in New Delhi

 Prime Minister Manmohan Singh hoisting the National Flag at the ramparts of Red Fort on the occasion of Independence Day in New Delhi.

Independence Day India 2013 marked by a Google Doodle

Sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik's sand sculpture with a message "Jai Jawan" on the occasion of Independence day at Puri beach in Odisha on Thursday Aug 15,2013

TN Chief Minister Jayalalithaa inspecting Guard of Honour on the occasion of Independence Day celebration at Fort St. George on Thursday Aug 15,2013

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah inspecting a guard of honour at the Independence Day celebrations in Bangalore on Thursday Aug 15,2013

 Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy inspecting the Independance Day parade at the Central Stadium, in Thiruvananthapuram on Thursday Aug 15,2013

Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi inspecting the Independence Day parade in Guwahati on Thursday Aug 15,2013

Note

• Dr. Manmohan Singh, who assumed office on May 22, 2009 for the second consecutive term, already has the distinction of being the third longest serving Prime Minister after Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi

• Dr.Manmohan Singh on Thursday Aug 15,2013 became the first Prime Minister outside the Gandhi-Nehru family to unfurl the national tri-colour from the ramparts of the Red Fort for the 10th time(Dr Manmohan Singh was India's 14th Prime Minister)

• Only Jawaharlal Nehru(had hoisted the national flag 17 consecutive times) and his daughter Indira Gandhi(had hoisted the national flag 16 times;had unfurled the flag 11 consecutive times between 1966 and 1977) have hoisted the flag more than 10 times at the Red Fort

• Atal Bihari Vajpayee had unfurled the tricolour from the Red Fort 6 consecutive times from 1998 to 2003

• Jawaharlal Nehru was the first Prime Minister to unfurl the flag from the ramparts of the 17th century Mughal monument on August 15, 1947 after India became independent