As they pulled the ripcords, we, and everyone in the crowd around us, cheered wildly as the final brilliant saffron flags unfurled from their tight cocoons.

But few people were able to evade the police checkpoints and to reach a dusty field, where they unfurled saffron flags and marched a short distance.

On 17 May 1984, riots broke out in Bombay, Thane, and Bhiwandi after a saffron flag was placed at the top of a mosque.

Since then, everyday, at sunrise the saffron flag with Om is hoisted on the Rock Memorial and lowered at sunset.

It is an ode to the saffron flag of Marathas, calling on people to rise again against the foreign enemy.

All the Maths have the insignia of the saffron flag as shown above.

It appeared that Hindu fundamentalism was storming across India, rallying voters to the saffron flag of Hinduism.

The participants will hold a saffron flag on their hands.

According to legend, this is one of only two Maratha forts where Shivaji personally hoisted the saffron flag.

He himself designed for his party a saffron flag bearing two ancient logos - Om and Trishool.