The SURYAPATH TIRANGA Global Relay has brought a unique global dimension to India’s 80th Independence Day celebrations, with the national flag being hoisted successively at Indian Missions and Posts across time zones, following the path of the rising sun.
Launched at 1:30 AM IST in Suva, Fiji, the relay began its westward journey across continents. The Tiranga was subsequently hoisted in New Zealand, Australia, Japan, the Republic of Korea, China, Indonesia, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Myanmar, before reaching Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka and the Maldives.
The relay continued through Uzbekistan and Oman, reaching the United Arab Emirates at 9:45 AM and Qatar at 10:30 AM IST. In its initial nine hours, the symbolic journey covered 21 countries and missions/posts, transforming the movement of the sun across time zones into a continuous celebration of India’s national pride and unity.
The journey continued across West Asia, Africa and Eurasia, with flag hoistings in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Ethiopia, Russia, Kenya, Israel, Egypt and South Africa. By 12:30 PM IST, the Tiranga had reached Pretoria, extending the relay to the African continent.
From there, the celebration moved across Europe, with the national flag being hoisted successively in Latvia, Germany, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, France, the United Kingdom, Spain, Morocco and Iceland. The relay reached Riga at 12:45 PM IST and Reykjavik at 3:00 PM IST.
The Tiranga then continued its symbolic journey across the Atlantic towards the Americas, with scheduled stops including Brasilia in Brazil at 4:30 PM IST and Paramaribo in Suriname at 4:45 PM IST, before the relay is set to conclude in San Francisco, United States.
The initiative, organised as part of the Har Ghar Tiranga 2026 celebrations, seeks to demonstrate that the Tiranga transcends geographical boundaries and connects Indians and friends of India around the world. Indian Missions and Posts are participating in a coordinated sequence of flag hoistings, creating a symbolic relay in which the national flag follows the movement of daylight from East to West.
Secretary, Ministry of Culture, Vivek Aggarwal, described Suryapath Tiranga as an initiative that carries the spirit of India across the world through the national flag. He said the relay connects Indian Missions and the diaspora in a shared celebration of India’s unity, heritage and democratic values.
Additional Secretary, XPD Division, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Randhir Jaiswal, said the campaign was a unique way of celebrating India’s freedom across the world. He noted that the relay began in Fiji, crossed Suriname and would conclude in San Francisco, with enthusiastic participation from Indian Embassies, Consulates and people across countries.
The Suryapath Tiranga initiative turns the passage of time and movement of the rising sun into a symbolic journey of the national flag, carrying the message of unity, patriotism, national pride and Viksit Bharat across continents on Independence Day.
The live relay can be followed on the Har Ghar Tiranga portal.
