THE ART OF FLYING YOUR FLAGS - with air of pride
The method of hoisting and flying flags is as old as 5000 years. It has not changed at all since Lord Krishna started to unfurl his crude flags in the Golden Age representing PEACE. White rectangular pieces of cloth were tied to sticks and fixed on their palace roof tops. He did not go to war with anyone, because back then there was just ONE kingdom of Lakshmi & Narayan and ONE Diety religion. War happens between two kingdoms.
In the present times we have another example of maroon colored PEACE flags of Confluence Age, being flown high in Madhuban at Mt Abu by the Brahma Kumari spiritual organization.
The other global flags come in multi colors representing Nations, Territories, States, Provinces. We also have flags for different events, sports, religions, & celebrations. They hang lifeless from high poles of steel, wood or bamboo. The age old design consists of a small pulley mounted at the top of the poles and a double rope to take the piece of cloth up to hoist it and then bring it down when not required usually at sun set.
RE-ENGINEERING THE FLAG & ITS FLYING ART.
It is proposed to re-engineer this archaic design as a modified WIND SOCK to take in the low speed winds and fly horizontally to display it true colors, design and pride instead of hanging lifelessly from pole tops.
It is suggested to fabricate a flattish Oval Wind Sock instead of the conventional round one. If you hammer in the round one it would become flattish, more of vertical parabola or ellipse. A rounded rectangle approximately 4 inches wide and the height depending upon the height of the flag design, would complete the description. Now we will need two pieces of cloth with their designs but in mirror images this time, to make one hollow flag by stitching up at the top and bottom only. The vertical sides of the new flag will be kept open to allow the air/wind to pass through. The vertical ellipse would be reinforced with wire rods or other suitable materials to give and retain its shape. This shape will extend into 1/4 Th of the flag horizontally, with slight taper as it is done on every wind sock to allow the winds to blow into the flag. The balance 3/4 Th of the flag will drop down as usual.
The pole design too has to modified slightly to accommodate the new wind sock flag. The top portion of the round pole must be flattened in to allow the wind into the flag. Additionally ball bearing arrangement must be built into the design of the poles to allow 360 degrees rotation of the Oval shaped wind sock flags.
USE OF COMPRESSED AIR TO FLY FLAGS FULLY
During the Beijing Olympics the national flags of all countries were very intelligently kept flying horizontal at all times with the help of compressed air blowing through the holes in the tubular poles on which a single cloth piece flags were mounted. It was a costly affair and totally indoors.
Mini table top models of such Oval wind sock flags would be a huge tourist attraction & big business in every country.
The author has his very own wind sock flag flying high out side the house which has a fusion of Indian & Canadian flag colors & designs.
Rohit Khanna - IN-SITU SOUL
