National Flag Of Sri Lanka
The National Flag Of Sri Lanka Also called the “Lion Flag” Was Officially Adopted On December 17, 1978. When the first King of Sri Lanka named Vijaya came from India in 486 BC, he brought with him a flag with a symbol of a lion on it. From that time onwards, the lion symbol has played an important role in the history of Sri Lanka.
In 1948, the flag was adopted as the national flag of the Dominion of Ceylon. However, the Flag Of Sri Lanka underwent plenty of changes in 1953 and again in 1972. During the same year, four leaves of the Bo tree were put on the four corners of the Sri Lankan National Flag under the direction of Nissanka Wijeyeratne.
Design And Meaning Of The Flag
The Flag Of Sri Lanka designed consists of a gold lion holding a kastane sword in its right fore-paw in a maroon background with four gold bo leaves, one in each corner. This is bordered by gold, and to its left are two vertical stripes of equal size in green and orange, with the orange stripe closest to the lion.
Green and red stripes were added to the left part of the Sri Lanka National Flag after 1815 and these stripes are intended to symbolize Hindu Tamils and Muslim Maurs minorities living on the island beside the Sinhalese majority. The lion is set on a crimson background with one golden bo leaf at every corner. In general, the lion on the National Flag Of Sri Lanka represents bravery, but every design holds meaning within the golden lion.
The curly hair of the lion stands for meditation, religious observance and wisdom. The beard represents the purity of words and nose intelligence. The fore-paws, purity in handling wealth. The sword that the lion holds represents the sovereignty of the country. The handle of the sword stands for the four elements namely air, water, earth, and fire.
The crimson background on the Flag Of Sri Lanka represents the other minority religions and groups, including the European Burghers. The yellow border on the flag represents other ethnic groups in Sri Lanka, the Sri Lankan Malays. Together, the lion and the maroon background represent Sinhalese ethnicity and the strength of the country.
Some Information About Flag:
In Which Year, The National Flag Is Adopted?
Ans: December 17, 1978
What Are The Colours of The Flag?
Ans: yellow-green and saffron, maroon