Google celebrates India's 75th Independence Day with a unique doodle on country's cultural traditions

Independence Day 2021: India is celebrating its 75th Independence Day today and Google has marked this day with a special doodle. On August 15, 1947, India became an independent, sovereign nation after British rule ended. Today’s Google Doodle illustrates these diverse forms of dance. From the classical tradition of Bharatnatyam depicted on the far left to the oldest Indian dance style with origins stretching back 3000 years in the southern state of Tamil Nadu. It includes masked reenactments from epics known as Chhau dance that have origins in the eastern state of Jharkhand, the Purulia Chau, and the Seraikella Chau regions, according to Google.

At the stroke of midnight on this day in 1947, India’s decades-long movement for independence culminated as the nation became a sovereign republic. Today’s Doodle, illustrated by Kolkata-based guest artist Sayan Mukherjee, celebrates India’s Independence Day and its cultural traditions forged in centuries of historical progress.

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With an estimated population of over 1.3 billion people, India has one-sixth of the total global population and is characterized by thousands of distinct languages and ethnic groups. Across every state, Indians celebrate their freedom and multicultural spirit with customs such as traditional dance performances, which vary depending on regional culture.

For those of you who are new to Google Doodle, Google has been marking Indian Independence Day in its doodles since 2003. The Google doodle that the company shared on Search back in 2003 was rather a simple one. It had the word Google written in the standard font that the tech giant used at the time with one ‘O’ being replaced by the Ashok Chakra and the Indian National flag waving in an animated fashion along the letter ‘L’. You can check the doodle here. 

Google has come a long way since then. Now, the company collaborates with local artists to craete more complex designs that are representative of India’s rich cultural heritage. Last year, the company used an illustration by Mumbai-based artist Sachin Ghanekar to commemorate the 74th Indian Independence Day. You can check out the doodle here.

The doodle featured artwork that had several iconic Indian folk instruments, including the tutari, shehnai, dhol, veena, sarangi and bansuri. “From the versatile double-reeded shehnai to the resonant stringed sarangi, these instruments are but a few that make up India’s rich musical legacy, which dates back over 6,000 years...The musical diversity represented by this unique collection reflects the patchwork of Indian cultures that is celebrated across the nation today,” the company had written announcing the news.