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The holy festival of Independence Day is celebrated with great pomp and joy across the country on 15th August, when the entire nation gets immersed in the celebration of independence with the first rays of the sun. But do you know that in Bihar, a state of India, there is such a historical and special place where the tricolor is hoisted not on the morning of 15th August, but exactly at midnight on 14th August? Yes, this is not a common thing, but it is a unique and glorious tradition that has been going on continuously since the year 1947, which makes this place completely different from the rest of the country. When the hands of the clock reach twelve at midnight, the sky echoes with fireworks and slogans of ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’. Every year thousands of people come out on the streets even in the dark of night to witness this unique celebration of Independence Day. Let us know in detail in which district and place of Bihar this wonderful tradition is performed and what is the historical truth behind it.
How this tradition of hoisting the tricolor at midnight started in the year 1947
This unique and surprising way of celebrating Independence Day has been going on unbroken for the last eight decades in the historical city of Dehri-on-Sone located in Rohtas district of Bihar. If we turn the pages of history, we come to know that when the country’s first Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru gave the historic speech ‘Tryst with Destiny’ in the Parliament House of Delhi on the midnight of 14-15 August 1947 and announced the country’s independence, then as soon as this message reached the local freedom fighters, railway employees and citizens of Dehri-on-Sone, without wasting a moment, on the same night exactly 12 It was decided to hoist the tricolor at 10 o’clock. At that time, Dehri was a huge commercial and labor center due to the Son river bridge and industrial units. The elders say that when the first wave of independence of the country reached here, there was no limit to the happiness of the people and they welcomed the independence by hoisting the tricolor amid lights and firecrackers, piercing the silence of the night. From then till today, this tradition has become an important part of the culture here and every year the local people are taking this heritage forward with full pride.
A wonderful and grand sight is seen in Dehri-on-Sone on the night of 14th August.
As the date of 14th August begins to wane and the time of 12 o’clock in the night approaches, the main square and historical place of Dehri-on-Sone starts shining like a big fair or festival. As soon as 12 o’clock in the night the entire city gets illuminated with patriotic songs, beats of drums and fireworks. A huge crowd of local administrative officials, public representatives, youth and elders gather on the road at midnight and hoist the national flag with full honours. After the tricolor is hoisted, the tune of the national anthem echoes and people congratulate each other on Independence Day. To see this unique event, a large number of people from nearby districts and villages reach here at night. This exciting and emotional moment of hoisting the tricolor at midnight gives everyone goosebumps and takes the feeling of patriotism to its peak.
Along with the celebration of the day, the tradition of midnight is also respected.
It is an interesting thing that the people of Dehri-on-Sone do not just sit quiet after celebrating at midnight, but they also participate with equal enthusiasm in the traditional state and government programs held the next day i.e. on the morning of 15th August. This means that the people here get two chances to celebrate independence. On the one hand, on the night of 14th August, following the historical tradition, they salute the tricolor at midnight, while on the other hand, on the morning of 15th August, they also actively participate in flag hoisting and Prabhat Pheris in schools, colleges, government offices and grounds. This double happiness is no less than a big festival for the people of this city and that is why this Independence Day of Dehri-on-Sone has its own distinct and unique identity in the entire country.
Inspiration for the new generation and a unique example of preserving history.
In today’s modern era, when the new generation is moving away from its culture and history, this midnight tradition of Dehri-on-Sone remains a great medium among the youth to respect the freedom fighters of the country and keep the memories of history alive. The young generation enthusiastically participates in this event and listens to the stories of the struggles of 1947 from their elders on the basis of which independence was achieved. The local administration also cooperates fully in preserving this historical tradition and making it more grand. This news coming out on the occasion of Independence Day proves that India’s diversity and its unique cultural heritage is the real strength of this country, which should always be cherished.