On August 15, every year, India celebrates its Independence Day, which marks the event when it attained freedom from the British rule. Independence Day celebrations are centred in the national capital, Delhi, where the ceremonial National Flag hoisting takes place at Red Fort from where the Prime Minister delivers a speech to the entire nation. 
While celebrations spark up in almost every corner of the country, some of the historical landmarks where they truly come to life are worth a visit.

Red Fort, Delhi
The UNESCO World Heritage Site of Red Fort is the site where the Indian Prime Minister hoists the National Flag from the ramparts of the fort every year on Independence Day. As the Prime Minister arrives, he receives salutes from the three wings of the Defence Forces (Army, Air Force, Navy) and the Delhi Police. As the PM hoists the flag, 21 honorary gunshots are fired and the Indian National Anthem is played. He then delivers a speech that reminisces the events leading up to the Independence and ends with a hopeful note about the country's future. As the day progresses, patriotic parades and pageants are held, along with performances by schoolchildren.
It was at Red Fort that the first Prime Minister of India, Pt Jawaharlal Nehru delivered the first Independence Day speech in 1947.

India Gate, Delhi
Standing as a tribute to the brave soldiers who sacrificed their lives for the country, India Gate is a stunning archway and a landmark of Delhi. The walls of the gateway have been inscribed with the names of 13,516 soldiers killed in the Northwestern Frontier in the Afghan war of 1919, besides 90,000 soldiers of the Indian Army who were martyred in World War I. 
Amar Jawan Jyoti, made of marble, is located in front of India Gate and was constructed in the year 1971. It was built to pay tribute to the brave soldiers who lost their lives during the Indo-Pak War in December 1971. The flame is guarded by uniformed soldiers and a shining rifle crowned by an army helmet has also been kept near it.
India Gate is fringed by lush well-maintained lawns that act as a popular picnic venue for families. The best time to visit this monument is at night when it is bathed in soft golden lights and glistens in the dark star-less sky.

Raj Ghat, Delhi
Built in the memory of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, who is revered as the Father of the Nation, Raj Ghat is a marble platform where he was cremated on January 31, 1948. Lying on the banks of the Yamuna river, Rajghat is fringed by lush well-manicured lawns that are dotted with trees. 
The samadhi is a true reflection of the man himself and exudes a simplicity that he came to be associated with. A brick platform where his body was burned and a black marble platform are surrounded by a marble fence. The words ‘He Ram’, which was the last thing Gandhiji said, have been inscribed on the memorial. An eternal flame stands adjacent to it.Various trees that dot the landscape have been planted by dignitaries like Queen Elizabeth II, former US president Dwight Eisenhower, former Australian Prime Minister Gough Whitman etc., and bear their names on a plaque.

Jallianwala Bagh, Amritsar
Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar is among the most iconic places to visit during Independence Day. On April 13, 1919, this park, spread across 7 acre, saw about 2,000 Indians indiscriminately shot dead at the hands of British soldiers led by General O’Dyer. This incident is known as the Jallianwala Bagh massacre or the Amritsar massacre. Historical records tell that on the fateful day of the Punjabi harvest festival of Baisakhi, 15,000 to 20,000 people had gathered to celebrate. Apart from this, some people had also come together to hold a peaceful demonstration against the repressive Rowlatt Act that provided for stricter control of the press, arrests without warrant and indefinite detention without trial. The British got wind of it and surrounded the park armed with rifles. Then, on General O’Dyer’s orders, shots were fired indiscriminately over men, women and children.
The wall near the end of the park still holds the marks of around 36 bullets. After the shooting, several dead bodies had to be taken out of the well which people jumped into to avoid being shot. A memorial is built here to commemorate the 2,000 Indians who were killed or wounded. The story of this appalling massacre is told in the Martyr’s Gallery at the site. The incident was instrumental in changing the course of the Indian freedom struggle. It fuelled anger among people, leading to the Non-cooperation Movement of 1920-22. After the incident, Mahatma Gandhi declared, “The impossible men of India shall rise and liberate their motherland.” “This disproportionate severity of punishment inflicted upon the unfortunate people and method of carrying it out is without parallel in the history of civilised govt.” wrote Rabindranath Tagore, a noble laureate, while returning his knighthood to the British. It is a must-visit site while going to Amritsar.

Wagah Border, Amritsar
The Wagah Border, an army outpost on the Indian and Pakistani border, lying between the cities of Amritsar and Lahore (Pakistan), is a must-visit during the Independence Day celebrations. It is around 28 km from Amritsar and is one of the main access points overland to the neighbouring country of Pakistan. Among its many buildings, roads and barriers, one can witness the impressive Beating the Retreat ceremony, held here every day. During the ceremony, an infantryman stands at attention on both sides of the gate. Then, the gates are flung open and the two soldiers, one from both India and Pakistan, approach each other, mimic anger and exchange fierce looks. After this, they shake hands and begin to lower both the Indian and the Pakistani flags on either side of the gate simultaneously. People from both countries gather to witness the impressive proceedings. On the Indian side of the border stands a huge gate with encryption reading 'Swarn Jayanti Dwar' (Golden Jubilee Gate) and one can enjoy a panoramic view of the Wagah Border from here. The Lowering the Flag Ceremony is a must-see in Amritsar as the high-decibel spectacle leaves one in awe.
As night approaches, lights are switched on to mark the end of the day. There is patriotic fervour in the air as people start singing the National Anthem and applauding the ceremony. The energy makes for a rare display of pride in one’s country and nationality. 

Cellular Jail, Andaman and Nicobar Islands
 The Cellular Jail in Port Blair is a prison where Indians fighting for freedom from the British were exiled and incarcerated under inhuman conditions. Today, a national memorial, this colonial prison was completed in 1906. It is called cellular because it was constructed to host only individual cells for solitary confinement. The cell in which freedom fighter Veer Savarkar (Vinayak Damodar Savarkar) was housed has his rough blanket, a bowl, his bare bed, etc., to show how the inmates lived. His cell overlooked the hanging yard, where prisoners condemned to death were executed. This jail is now a place of importance for visitors seeking to understand that dark period in India's history and pay homage to the martyrs who suffered there. The sound and light show organised every evening is a crowd-puller and relives the history of the prison and its inmates. |

Sabarmati Gandhi Ashram, Ahmedabad
Sabarmati Gandhi Ashram was the centre of Mahatma Gandhi's non-violent struggle against the British for the independence of India. His aura still lingers here and one can travel back in time to get a sense of his ideology and remarkable life. Documents related to his non-violence movement, including the Dandi March, which began from here, have been put on display at the Gandhi Smarak Sangrahalaya (museum). There is a library for literature on Gandhi that holds an immense archive of letters written by him, most of them on used paper scraps. The ashram shares land with Hridaykunj — the quarters where he lived; Vinoba-Mira Kutir, a guest house, a prayer land and a building used as a training centre for cottage industries. 

Anand Bhawan, Prayagraj
Once the residence of the Nehru family, it is said that the estate of Anand Bhawan was bought by Motilal Nehru, the father of the former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, after his older house, Swaraj Bhawan, started serving as the offices of Congress.The two-storey mansion of Anand Bhawan is said to have been designed by Nehru himself. A picture of grandeur, it was decorated with wooden furniture imported from Europe and China, and various other artefacts. Today, the house is a museum that houses valuable artefacts such as books, personal belongings and rare photographs of Motilal Nehru, Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi, who was married here in 1942. The house was donated to the Government of India in 1970 by Indira Gandhi, who was the then Prime Minister of the country.