The tallest national flag in Himachal Pradesh is located at the residential Dalhousie Public School nestled in the midst of the scenically beautiful Dhauladhar Range of the Himalayas. The flag, positioned at a height of over 108 feet, has emerged as the new identity of Dalhousie, one of north India's famous hill stations.
Made of knitted polyester silk, the tricolour is flown round-the-clock and the flag pole is lit in the night by two metal halide lamps of 400 watt each by school authorities under whose jurisdiction the area falls in.
Installed in October 2014 by Vice Admiral Anurag G. Thapliyal, Director General of the Indian Coast Guard, who was the chief guest at the school's annaul day, the flag is 7000 feet above mean sea level and amajor attraction for both tourists and students.
The flag, which weighs 8.5 kilograms and has a dimension of 20 feet by 30 feet, has been provided by the Mumbai-based Flag Corporation and procured with the help of the Flag Foundation of India. The mast was provided by the Chandigarh-based Bajaj Electricals India Ltd.
According to Dr. G.s.Dhillon, the principal of the Dalhousie Public School, the tricolour signifies a "strong India" and instills a "sense of unity and integrity" among school students, visiting tourists and youths of the area.
Principal Dhillon further said, "There are so many interesting and vital aspects of a country that are depicted through the national flag. So, the school decided to have the flag on its campus. The feelings that are evoked when we see the national flag are of great patriotic fervor. The school realizes that the imprints created at a young age have the most lasting effect."
Dr.Dhillon said that a team from Bajaj Electricals India Ltd.inspected the area where the flag mast had to be erected.
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He said, "After doing a recee of the location, they gave us the foundation details which had to be done by the school. A foundation of 10 x 10 feet with depth of two meters was prepared. The mast was transported by road and came disassembled in three parts. It was brought to school and carried manually to the spot where the erection had to be done. The mast weighs approximately 1500 kilograms. It is made up of high tensile steel (grade SP 55J0). The steel is galvanized to give it maximum strength. It can bear wind speeds up to 170 km/hour and has flexibility of one feet when the winds are fierce. A specialanti rust zinc coating is done to improve on its life. A technical team of around 15 people arrived in the month of July (2014) to get the flag mast erected. The flag is visible from lot of places in Dalhousie and Khajjiar. The flag is operated through remote control. The steel wires which hold the flag are designed so that any person can easily operate the mechanism."
Dalhousie is spread across five hills and was formally established as a hill station in 1854 by the then British Empire. It was used as a summer retreat for British troops and officials.
This hill station is visited by approximately one lakh domestic and foreigh tourists during the summer and winter seasons.