India's Independence Day is annually celebrated on August 15. It commemorates the nation's independence from British colonial rule on August 15, 1947, when the Indian Independence Act 1947 came into effect. On this day, India became a free and independent country, and the first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, raised the Indian national flag at the Red Fort in Delhi. The day is a national holiday marked by flag-hoisting ceremonies, parades, cultural events, and the Prime Minister's address to the nation.