Independent ideas

The picture on the top is of India's first President Dr Rajendra Prasad addressing a gathering. Also seen in the picture are Lord Mountbatten and his wife Lady Mountbatten seated on the dias. The top picture gives a glimpse of the historic Independence Day session of India's Constituent Assembly, which met at midnight on August 14, 1947, as part of the momentous transfer of power ceremonies. The picture in the bottom is of then Maharaja of Patiala and Sardar Vallabhai Patel, who played a key role in merger of princely states. The bottom picture is a view of the special durbar held about one year later, on July 15, 1948 in Patiala to mark the merger of Patiala and other east punjab states into the Indian Union. The territorial integration of hundreds of former princely states into the Indian Union was the biggest step in the direction of political unity taken after independence.