Jounior Observer | Sunday Observer.lk

The Buddhist Flag

The Buddhist Flag has five vertical stripes of equal width in blue, yellow, red, white and orange (in that order) from the hoist end, and a sixth stripe made up of five uniform squares in the colours of the vertical stripes.

The flag published in the Sarasavi Sandaresa

Do you know what these colours represent? These are the colours of the Budu Res, the Buddha rays. It is said that an aura emanated from the Buddha’s body forming a halo or circle of light around His head. The halo had rings or circles in these five colours - blue in the inner ring and the other colours in the order given above.

The outer ring was a mixture of those five colours and was called Prabhaswara. The five uniform squares in the last stripe of the flag represents Prabaswara. You would have read in the newspapers or heard on the radio or TV that the Buddhist Flag was hoisted for the first time on Vesak Poya Day on April 28 in 1885 at the Deepaduththarama Vihara, Kotahena by Ven. Migettuwatte Gunananda Thera. Therefore, 1885 was a very special year for Buddhists in Sri Lanka. A band of eminent Buddhists, led by Ven. Hikkaduwe Sri Sumangala Thera and Col. Olcott appealed to the Governor (or was it a request?) to make Vesak Full Moon Poya Day, a public holiday.

The request was granted. The Governor, Sir Arthur Gordon, issued a gazette notice declaring Vesak day a public holiday.After the Governor’s gazette notification, Buddhists needed something to symbolise their unity and their religion. A flag was the obvious choice. The Governor’s gazette notice may have been issued in late March. The Sarasavi Sandaresa the only newspaper of the Buddhists, published this news item in its issue of April 3. There were three weeks to design a flag.The committee of leading Buddhists headed by Ven. Hikkaduwe Sri Sumangala Thera met, discussed and agreed upon the design of the flag which would symbolise the Buddha’s halo. A colour drawing of the flag was published in the Sarasavi Sandaresa of April 17. In ten days enough flags were produced to be hoisted at the Maligakanda Pirivena, Deepaduththarama Vihara, Kotahena and other Viharas in Colombo and Kelaniya.

The flag that was hoisted on April 28, 1885 was not the flag we see today. The design was the same, but the dimensions were different. It was a long, narrow flag.

Col. Olcot who was in the forefront of the Buddhist revival movement of the day pointed out that the dimensions weren’t quite right and suggested that they be changed to be on par with other national flags. So, the ratio of length to width was changed. This revised flag was hoisted in Viharas and homes on Vesak Day of 1886. It is this flag that we hoist today, not only on Vesak Day but also on other Full Moon Days and whenever there is a Buddhist ceremony like a Pirith or a Dhamma School function.

- Sumana Saparamadu