In high spirits: Nine years after India gained freedom from British rule, a young Indian is seen with the tricolour on the eve of Independence Day   -  THE HINDU ARCHIVES

Mark the occasion: Incessant rain fails to dampen the spirit of Delhi as it turns out in big numbers for the Independence Day celebrations in 1964. Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri greets guests before the programme   -  THE HINDU ARCHIVES

Birth of a nation: Members of the British government at the Independence Day celebrations at India House in Aldwych, London, on August 15, 1947   -  THE HINDU ARCHIVES

Across the globe: The flag of the new dominion of India on display at the Far Eastern Commission headquarters in Washington, on August 15, 1947   -  THE HINDU ARCHIVES

Friends, Indians, countrymen: Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru holds fort at the 1953 celebrations in Delhi   -  THE HINDU ARCHIVES

Walk the line: Prime Minister Indira Gandhi inspects the Guard of Honour on the lawns of the Red Fort, Delhi, on August 15, 1968   -  THE HINDU ARCHIVES