The Flag of Sri Lanka, also called the Lion Flag was adopted in 1950 following the recommendations of a committee appointed by the 1st Prime Minister of Ceylon, The Rt Hon D.S. Senanayake.
Lion Flag consists of a gold lion, holding a sword in its right fore paw, in front of a crimson background with four golden boo leaves in each corner. Around the background is a yellow border, and to its left are 2 vertical stripes of equal size in saffron and green, with the saffron stripe closest to the lion. The lion represents bravery, and the four bo leaves represent meththa, karuna, muditha and upeksha. The orange stripe represents the Tamils, the green stripe represents Moors, the crimson background represents European Burghers and is also a reference to the rich colonial background of the country and the yellow border represents other ethnic groups such as Malays etc.....
Symbolism
The National Flag of Sri Lanka represents the country and its heritage as rallying device that integrates the minorities with the majority race. Most symbols in the flag have been given distinctive meanings.
The lion -The Sinhalese ethnicity and the strength of the nation.
The bo leaves - Buddhism and its influence on the nation. They also stand for the four virtues of Kindness, Friendliness, Happiness and Equanimity.
The sword of the lion - The sovereignty of the nation
The curly hair on the lion's head - Religious observance, wisdom and meditation
The beard of the lion - Purity of words
The handle of the sword - The elements of water, fire, air and earth
The nose of the lion- Intelligence
The two front paws of the lion - Purity in handling wealth.
The vertical orange stripe - The Tamil ethnicity
The vertical green stripe - The Muslim faith and Moor ethnicity
The yellow border round the flag - People from other cultures living in Sri Lanka
The crimson background - Other minor religions and ethnic groups, Portuguese/Dutch Burghers Also refers to the rich colonial heritage and background of the country.
The National Flag of Sri Lanka represents the country and its heritage as rallying device that integrates the minorities with the majority race. Most symbols in the flag have been given distinctive meanings.
The lion -The Sinhalese ethnicity and the strength of the nation.
The bo leaves - Buddhism and its influence on the nation. They also stand for the four virtues of Kindness, Friendliness, Happiness and Equanimity.
The sword of the lion - The sovereignty of the nation
The curly hair on the lion's head - Religious observance, wisdom and meditation
The beard of the lion - Purity of words
The handle of the sword - The elements of water, fire, air and earth
The nose of the lion- Intelligence
The two front paws of the lion - Purity in handling wealth.
The vertical orange stripe - The Tamil ethnicity
The vertical green stripe - The Muslim faith and Moor ethnicity
The yellow border round the flag - People from other cultures living in Sri Lanka
The crimson background - Other minor religions and ethnic groups, Portuguese/Dutch Burghers Also refers to the rich colonial heritage and background of the country.
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