![[Buddhist flag in Sri Lanka]](../images/r/rel_b_lk1.gif)
image by Tomislav Todorovic, 8 July 2018
Last modified: 2019-10-17 by rob raeside
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In Sri Lanka, the birthplace of Buddhist flag, many variations of the basic
design have also appeared in the course of time. Given the frequency of their
appearance in the photos found online, they might actually be used as much as,
or even more than the basic variant, although most of these changes are actually
minor enough so as not to obscure the recognition of the basic design and its
meaning. These flags are sometimes used outside Sri Lanka as well, usually by
the Sri Lankan expatriates, but not limited to them.
Tomislav Todorović,
8 July 2018
image by Tomislav Todorovic, 8 July 2018
The smallest change introduced is the swallow-tailed ending, which is done in
the horizontal stripes' part only. All known photos of such flags are from the
Temple of the Tooth, Kandy [1, 2, 3, 4].
Tomislav Todorovic, 8 July
2018
![[Buddhist flag in Sri Lanka]](../images/r/rel_b_lk2.gif)
image by Tomislav Todorovic, 8 July 2018
The most frequent addition is a white border all around. The border may have an
even width, which may vary on different flags [5, 6, 7, 8], but very frequently,
it may be visibly wider at the top and bottom, or at the hoist and fly [9, 10,
11, 12, 13, 14, 15].
Tomislav Todorovic, 8 July
2018
![[Buddhist flag in Sri Lanka]](../images/r/rel_b_lk3.gif)
image by Tomislav Todorovic, 8 July 2018
The border may be widened at the hoist so much that it makes an additional white
stripe. This appears frequently enough to be considered a distinctive variant
[16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21].
Tomislav Todorovic, 8 July
2018
![[Buddhist flag in Sri Lanka]](../images/r/rel_b_lk4.gif)
image by Tomislav Todorovic, 8 July 2018
In some cases, the border may run only along the top, fly and bottom edges.
Again, the width may be even [22, 23, 24], but also narrower at the fly than
at the other edges [25, 26] or wider at the fly, even so much that it
sometimes resembles an additional stripe [27, 28, 29]. It shall be noted that
in some cases, the flag sleeve makes it difficult to tell if the border runs
along the hoist edge as well, still there seem to be enough examples to
confirm the existence of both variants.
Tomislav Todorovic, 8 July
2018
![[Buddhist flag in Sri Lanka]](../images/r/rel_b_lk5.gif)
image by Tomislav Todorovic, 8 July 2018
There are also few examples of white border along the top and bottom edges only
[15, 30]. As for other variants, there are examples when it is difficult to tell
which edges are really bordered, for white threads are often ripped off, leaving
only those in other colors; still there are enough edges which look "sharp"
enough in the photos to tell when this is not the case, even in case of badly
damaged borders [31]. As in the other cases, the border width varies greatly
here as well.
Tomislav Todorovic, 8 July
2018
![[Buddhist flag in Sri Lanka]](../images/r/rel_b_lk6.gif)
image by Tomislav Todorovic, 8 July 2018
A number of variants have the height much greater than the width, the horizontal
stripes being repeated as many times as needed. A group of such flags, with the
horizontal stripes repeated four times, was photographed in Balangoda,
Sabaragamuwa Province in 2006 [32].
Tomislav Todorovic, 8 July
2018
![[Buddhist flag in Sri Lanka]](../images/r/rel_b_lk7.gif)
image by Tomislav Todorovic, 8 July 2018
A group of similar flags, only with the horizontal stripes repeated six times
and being much shorter, was photographed in Hambantota, Southern Province in
2011 [33]. It is not quite clear from the photo if the blue horizontal stripe is
always at the top and orange at the bottom, nor whether there are always exactly
six sets of horizontal stripes - as if the flags could have been created by
cutting from an "endless" stripe of fabric with repeating pattern; still that
clearly has no impact on the flag symbolism.
Tomislav Todorovic, 8 July
2018
![[Buddhist flag in Sri Lanka]](../images/r/rel_b_lk8.gif)
image by Tomislav Todorovic, 8 July 2018
Another similar flag, with short horizontal stripes repeated five times, was
used in Kandy in 2013 [34]. Again, it is not quite clear from the photo if there
are exactly five sets of horizontal stripes, which would begin with blue and end
with orange, but the design does not seem to clearly differ from that.
Tomislav Todorovic, 8 July
2018
![[Buddhist flag in Sri Lanka]](../images/r/rel_b_lk9.gif)
image by Tomislav Todorovic, 8 July 2018
A group of similar flags were photographed at Bogoda Bridge, Badulla, Uva
Province in March 2018 [35, 36]. Here, the flags have had only three sets of
horizontal stripes, which did not always begin with blue and end with orange;
there were also white vertical stripes along the hoist and fly edges.
Tomislav Todorovic, 8 July
2018
![[Buddhist flag in Sri Lanka]](../images/r/rel_b_lk10.gif)
image by Tomislav Todorovic, 8 July 2018
One of these flags from Bogoda Bridge was hung horizontally, with the repeating
stripes in bottom part [35, 37].
Tomislav Todorovic, 8 July
2018
![[Buddhist flag in Sri Lanka]](../images/r/rel_b_lk11.gif)
image by Tomislav Todorovic, 8 July 2018
A rarely used variant of flag replaces the horizontal stripes with three
complete patterns of Buddhist flag, which are surrounded and separated by white
border of uneven width. The only currently known photo, showing rows of
such flags near a stupa at an unspecified location, dates from 2011 [38].
Tomislav Todorovic, 8 July
2018
![[Buddhist flag in Sri Lanka]](../images/r/rel_b_lk12.gif)
image by Tomislav Todorovic, 8 July 2018
Some flags, instead of repeating the horizontal stripes, omit them altogether.
Their height is much greater than the width, the ratio varying between 3:1 , as
seen in Dambulla, Central Province in 2011 [39], and 7:1 or 8:1 (the photo does
not allow easy identification), as seen at an unspecified location in
southwestern Sri Lanka in February 2018 [40]. This may be used jointly with the
standard Buddhist flag, which is then hoisted at the very top of the flagstaff
[40].
Tomislav Todorovic, 8 July
2018
![[Buddhist flag in Sri Lanka]](../images/r/rel_b_lk13.gif)
image by Tomislav Todorovic, 8 July 2018
When the horizontal stripes are omitted, the vertical ones may be repeated. Such
flags were photographed at Bogoda Bridge, Badulla, Uva Province in March 2018
[35, 36, 37]. They had two sets of vertical stripes, the one at fly being
mirror-image of the one at hoist, separated by a narrow white stripe; other two
narrow white stripes were along the hoist and fly edges.
Tomislav Todorovic, 8 July
2018
![[Buddhist flag in Sri Lanka]](../images/r/rel_b_lk14.gif)
image by Tomislav Todorovic, 8 July 2018
Very rarely, it is the vertical stripes, not horizontal, which are omitted. The
only currently known photo of such flags was taken in Hambantota, Southern
Province in 2011 [33]. There, a group of flags was used with two sets of
horizontal fields (too wide to be called "stripes").
Tomislav Todorovic, 8 July
2018
![[Buddhist flag in Sri Lanka]](../images/r/rel_b_lk15.gif)
image by Tomislav Todorovic, 8 July 2018
Buddhist flags may be charged with the Dharma wheel, composed as follows: an
orange disc surrounded with concentric rings in white (innermost), red, yellow
and blue (outermost) and placed over four radially arranged blue bars, which are
placed in turn over the white, red and yellow rings and conjoined with the blue
ring [41, 42, 43]. The center of wheel is placed on white vertical field and may
or may not be centered on the field itself, and also may or may not be centered
on the flag as the whole.
Tomislav Todorovic, 8 July
2018
![[Buddhist flag in Sri Lanka]](../images/r/rel_b_lk16.gif)
image by Tomislav Todorovic, 8 July 2018
The flags with Dharma wheel may also have a white border all around [42, 44]. As
with other bordered variants [31], borders often look damaged in the photos,
white threads being ripped off, leaving only those in other colors [45]. One
reason for this may be that a number of flags may be produced together, as a
single sheet of fabric [46], and separated by simple cutting before the sale,
which would make the border more "vulnerable". This flag, as well as the variant
without Dharma wheel, are also used outside Sri Lanka, e.g. in Myanmar [47].
Tomislav Todorovic, 8 July
2018
![[Buddhist flag in Sri Lanka]](../images/r/rel_b_lk17.gif)
image by Tomislav Todorovic, 8 July 2018
On bordered flags with Dharma wheel, the border may be widened at the hoist so
much that it makes an additional white stripe [48].
Tomislav Todorovic, 8 July
2018
![[Buddhist flag in Sri Lanka]](../images/r/rel_b_lk18.gif)
image by Tomislav Todorovic, 8 July 2018
Sometimes, the border may run only along the top, fly and bottom edges; the
width may be even, or differ at the fly from that at the top and bottom [26, 31,
49].
Tomislav Todorovic, 8 July
2018
![[Buddhist flag in Sri Lanka]](../images/r/rel_b_lk19.gif)
image by Tomislav Todorovic, 8 July 2018
There are also few examples of white border along the top and bottom edges only.
It may be difficult to tell which edges are really meant not to be bordered, due
to white threads being ripped off; still there are examples of edges which look
"sharp" enough in the photos to tell when this is not the case [49].
Tomislav Todorovic, 8 July
2018
Sources:
[1] Flickr - Photo of Buddhist flags at Temple of the Tooth,
Kandy on 2008-10-28:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/sexnthecity/3784429601
[2] Flickr - Photo
of Buddhist flags at Temple of the Tooth, Kandy on 2010-02-26:
www.flickr.com/photos/gaz_n_nic/4480929405/
[3] Flickr - Photo of
Buddhist flags at Temple of the Tooth, Kandy on 2010-03-12:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/langsx2/4470431521
[4] Flickr - Photo of
Buddhist flags at Temple of the Tooth, Kandy on 2012-08-06:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/littleraven/8394137609
[5] Flickr - Photo
of Buddhist flags in Sri Lanka on 2011-05-17:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/akashmondal/5737331203
[6] Flickr - Photo
of Buddhist flags in Sri Lanka on 2011-05-20:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/mattjacobsen/5858955725
[7] Flickr - Photo
of Buddhist flags in Sri Lanka on 2012-04-29:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/legolasf1/7271349992/
[8] Alamy photo
archive - Photo from Anuradhapura on 2009 -12-28:
https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-a-young-girl-hanging-colorful-buddhist-flags-at-sri-maha-bodi-a-sacrat-27976167.html
[9] Flickr - Photo of Buddhist flags in Sri Lanka on 2007-07-01:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/sweetdollyvindya/2260978492
[10] Flickr -
Photo of Buddhist flags in Sri Lanka on 2011-03-20:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/thewandererstravel/5929367558
[11] Flickr
- Photo of Buddhist flags at Gangaramaya, Colombo on 2011-10-02:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/hiranyamm/6222745534
[12] Flickr - Photo
of Buddhist flags in Anuradhapura on 2012-03-11:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/jhfoto/6825514866/
[13] Flickr - Photo of
Buddhist flags in Colombo on 2013-01-19:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/120751667@N03/13511867163
[14] Flickr -
Photo of Buddhist flags in Colombo on 2013-04-21:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/smithymeerkat/8680840734
[15] Flickr -
Photo of Buddhist flags in Kandy on 2013-04-22:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/drriss/8927117687
[16] Flickr - Photo of
Buddhist flag in Sri Lanka on 2006-07-11:
www.flickr.com/photos/63928959@N00/198607890/
[17] Flickr - Photo of
Buddhist flags in Colombo on 2010-05-27:
www.flickr.com/photos/perambara/4643978181/
[18] Flickr - Photo of
Buddhist flags in Sri Lanka on 2011-05-14:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/photosofsrilanka/5726418570/
[19] Flickr -
Photo of Buddhist flags in Sri Lanka on 2013-11-03:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/103202566@N07/11926690666
[20] Flickr -
Photo of Buddhist flags in Sri Lanka on 2013-11-03:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/scalino/10797229284
[21] Flickr - Photo of
Buddhist flags in Sri Lanka on 2014-05-14:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/tinted/14218980285
[22] Flickr - Photo of
Buddhist flags in Sri Lanka on 2009-06-14:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/sachd/3731899697
[23] Asian Tribune
website - Photo of Buddhist flags in Kathmandu, Nepal on 2014-05-15:
http://www.asiantribune.com/node/79762 (image:
http://www.asiantribune.com/sites/asiantribune.com/files/imagecache/Original/images/2012/Kathmandu_1.jpg)
[24] Dreamstime.com website - Photo of Buddhist flags in Kandy on 2016-08-11:
https://www.dreamstime.com/editorial-stock-image-buddhist-flag-bearers-begin-their-march-past-temple-sacred-tooth-relic-kandy-sri-lanka-esala-perahera-image76774064
[25] Flickr - Photo of Buddhist flags in Sri Lanka on 2011-03-20:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/thewandererstravel/5929367558
[26] Flickr
- Photo of Buddhist flags in Sri Lanka on 2017-04-28:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/47919372@N05/34195419311/
[27] Flickr -
Photo from the Tooth Relic Temple, Kandy, on 2009-11-30:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/whitecatsg/4239036655/
[28] TripAdvisor
webiste - Photo of Buddhist flags at Anuradhapura in June 2014:
https://www.tripadvisor.com/LocationPhotoDirectLink-g304132-d3548095-i100222791-Sri_Maha_Boodhi_Temple-Anuradhapura_North_Central_Province.html#100222791
[29] TripAdvisor webiste - Photo of Buddhist flags at Anuradhapura in June
2014:
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g304132-d3548095-Reviews-Sri_Maha_Boodhi_Temple-Anuradhapura_North_Central_Province.html#photos;aggregationId=101&albumid=101&filter=7&ff=100222791
[30] Flickr - Photo of Buddhist flag in Colombo on 2015-05-10:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/ams78/17462942276/
[31] Flickr - Photo of
Buddhist flag in Ella, Uva, Sri Lanka on 2010-10-11:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/melissaenderle/5093152455/
[32] Flickr -
Photo of Buddhist flags in Balangoda, Sabaragamuwa, Sri Lanka on 2006-05-11:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/36338186@N05/4616648030
[33] Flickr -
Photo of Buddhist flags in Hambantota, Southern Province on 2011-06-15:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/chris5aw/5848044249
[34] Flickr - Photo of
Buddhist flag in Kandy on 2013-09-12:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/hanshendriksen/9729458677
[35] TripAdvisor
website - Photos of Bogoda Bridge, Badulla, Sri Lanka in March 2018:
https://www.tripadvisor.com/LocationPhotoDirectLink-g1950222-d1950108-i310013126-Bogoda_Bridge-Badulla_Uva_Province.html
[36] TripAdvisor website - Photo of Buddhist flags at Bogoda Bridge, Badulla,
Sri Lanka in March 2018:
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g1950222-d1950108-Reviews-Bogoda_Bridge-Badulla_Uva_Province.html#photos;aggregationId=101&albumid=101&filter=7&ff=310013126
[37] TripAdvisor website - Photo of Buddhist flags at Bogoda Bridge, Badulla,
Sri Lanka in March 2018:
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g1950222-d1950108-Reviews-Bogoda_Bridge-Badulla_Uva_Province.html#photos;aggregationId=101&albumid=101&filter=7&ff=310013006
[38] Flickr - Photo of Buddhist flags in Sri Lanka on 2011-10-11:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/juliac2006/6271800281
[39] Flickr - Photo
of Buddhist flags in front of the Golden Temple of Dambulla on 2011-10-14
https://www.flickr.com/photos/juliac2006/6272679322/
[40] Flickr - Photo
of Buddhist flags in southwestern Sri Lanka on 2018-02-28:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/fransdad/42384273551/
[41] Getty Images
photo archive - Photo of Buddhist flags in Colombo on 2009-05-04:
https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/sri-lankan-vendor-sells-buddhist-flags-at-a-roadside-stall-news-photo/86364652#/sri-lankan-vendor-sells-buddhist-flags-at-a-roadside-stall-in-colombo-picture-id86364652
[42] Flickr - Photo of Buddhist flags in Sri Lanka on 2009-10-22:
www.flickr.com/photos/orvalrochefort/4086680690/
[43] Flickr - Photo of
Buddhist flags in Kandy on 2014-05-15:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/clickedmemories/14217905941
[44] Age
Fotostosck photo archive - Photo of Buddhist flags in Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi
temple, Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka:
https://www.agefotostock.com/age/en/Stock-Images/Rights-Managed/IBR-1875802
[45] Alamy photo archive - Photo of Buddhist flags in Royal Palace complex,
Kandy:
https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-kandy-sri-lanka-royal-palace-complex-buddhist-flags-80369603.html
[46] Flickr - Photo of Buddhist flags in Sri Lanka on 2012-04-29:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/legolasf1/7271349086/
[47] Flickr - Photo
of Buddhist flags in Myanmar on 2013-03-15:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/centralbaptisttheologicalseminary/8596886348
[48] Flickr - Photo of Buddhist flags in Gangaramaya Temple, Colombo on
2012-02-12:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/jhfoto/6866415363
[49] Flickr - Photo of
Buddhist flags in Sri Mahabodhi temple, Anuradhapura on 2010-06-06:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/tatsushu/4720651451
