Google doodle celebrates India’s Independence Day

The anniversary of Indian independence was captured in a colourful Google Doodle put up at Tuesday midnight.

The doodle features a couple of peacocks crossing their beaks in an intimate gesture, flanked on both sides by a Bengal tiger and an Asian elephant. Other elements in the doodle comprise a pool of water studded with lilies, a sun rising in the backdrop and a riot of colourful flowers.

Clicking on the image takes you to a number of entries on Independence Day, including videos, news reports and portals offering general information on the subject.

Independence Day is annually celebrated as a national holiday on August 15 to commemorate India’s independence from the United Kingdom on that very date in 1947.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will unfurl the national flag from the ramparts of the historic Red Fort on Wednesday morning to a 21-gun salute, and then deliver his address to the nation. His speech will be streamed live on Google and YouTube for the first time this year, and people can search for Independence Day to see his address. According to reports, public broadcaster Prasar Bharati collaborated with the search engine giant and the video-sharing website to telecast the programme live online.

Nearly 70,000 officials of Delhi Police are guarding the national capital and close to 10,000 personnel have been deployed at the Red Fort, where senior ministers, top bureaucrats, foreign dignitaries and common people will be present during the Prime Minister’s address.

This year, 36 women personnel of the Delhi Police Special Weapons And Tactics unit will also be guarding the venue with their male counterparts.

The Google Doodle is a temporary alteration of the logo on Google’s homepages to commemorate holidays, events, achievements and people. The first Google Doodle honoured the Burning Man festival in 1998, and was designed by Internet entrepreneurs Larry Page and Sergey Brin.