CM Fadnavis joins Independence Day flag hoisting at Bombay High Court
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
At 9:35 am on 15 August 2026, the tricolour rose over one of India's oldest judicial institutions — the Bombay High Court — as Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis stood in attendance and Acting Chief Justice Ravindra V. Ghuge hoisted the flag to mark Independence Day. The ceremony, held at the court's Mumbai premises, brought together the executive and judicial branches of Maharashtra in a moment of national observance.
A 162-year-old court, a 79-year-old tradition
The Bombay High Court, established in 1862, is among the oldest high courts in India, predating independence itself. That a flag-hoisting ceremony now takes place within its precincts each 15 August is a quiet but pointed symbol — the institution that once operated under colonial charter now celebrates the republic it serves. The court holds jurisdiction over Maharashtra and Goa, making its Independence Day observance one of the more prominent judicial ceremonies in western India.
Fadnavis and Ghuge: executive meets judiciary on the national day
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who has led Maharashtra through multiple terms, was the senior government presence at the event. Alongside him, Acting Chief Justice Ravindra V. Ghuge performed the flag hoisting — the gesture of the senior judicial officer unfurling the tricolour carrying its own ceremonial weight. The Chief Minister's Office of Maharashtra shared the moment in three languages — English, Marathi, and Hindi — opening with Vande Mataram, the national song, signalling the breadth of the occasion's intended reach.
Flag hoisting at high courts and government institutions on 15 August has been an unbroken annual practice since 1947. Chief ministers attending such judicial ceremonies underscores the routine but meaningful coordination between the state's executive and its highest court on days of national significance.