A 360-foot high (110 metres) flag post, said to be the India’s tallest, was recently inaugurated at the Indo-Pak Attari Border, just a stone’s throw from Pakistan. The flag was unfurled at a height of 355 feet from the base — which is five feet high. Add to it another 10 feet, where an aviation light stands, and the total height of the structure goes up to 365 feet.
Built at an approximate cost of Rs 3.50 crore, the post was a project of the Amritsar Improvement Trust Authority of the Punjab Government. The flag post reportedly weighs 55 tons and has been built at an approximate cost of Rs 35 million ($0.52 million) by the Punjab government. Three poles 65 feet height, each with Light Emitting Diodes (LED), will illuminate the flag.
The flag post became an attraction for thousands of tourists who had reached there to watch the Beating Retreat Ceremony during the sunset and in no time, locals and tourists thronged the venue to witness the sight. Even visitors from Pakistan’s gallery were seen watching the Indian flag with keen interest.
However, Pakistan is reportedly unhappy with India’s decision to hoist its flag at the international border. They fear that India could use the mast to spy over Pakistani land by installing cameras on the flag pole. It is said that it can be spotted from Lahore in neighboring Pakistan and floodlights have been installed around it. Pakistan Rangers at the border are said to have objected saying the flag post could be used for “surveillance”. According to the Punjab Minister Anil Joshi, who inaugurated the tricolor, the flag was well within Indian Territory and no one could raise any objections on it. The Border Security Force has said the allegations were baseless and there was no camera or any surveillance equipment on the flag post.
Nonetheless, the tallest tricolor promises to be yet another attraction at the Attari-Wagah international border, which already sees thousands of tourists from both countries during the daily retreat ceremony.
Previously, Ranchi had the tallest national flag at 300 feet. India’s tallest Tricolour hoisted at Attari border