Sri Lankan flag

The national flag of Sri Lanka, also called the Lion Flag, consists of a golden pasante lion holding a sword in its right front paw, in front of a crimson background, with four golden leaves of Ficus religiosa, one in each corner. Around the bottom is a yellow border, and to the left are 2 equal-sized vertical stripes in saffron and green, the saffron one being closest to the lion.

It was adopted in 1950 following the recommendations of a committee appointed by the Prime Minister of Ceylon, Rt Hon DS Senanayake.

Historical flags

When Vijaya, the first king of the Sinhalese people, arrived in Sri Lanka in 486 BC, he brought with him a flag with the symbol of a lion. Since then the lion has become a significant symbol of Sri Lanka. It was used by monarchs who followed Vijaya, until it became a symbol of freedom and hope. When the legendary king Dutugemunu embarked on the campaign where he defeated the Indian king Elara, who had occupied part of Sri Lanka, he brought with him a banner depicting a lion holding a sword in its right foreleg, along with the symbols of the Sun. and the moon.

This flag was used until 1815, when the reign of the last king of the Kingdom of Kandy (Sri Vikrama Rajasinghe) collapsed when the Candian nobility proclaimed George III King of Ceylon and the Union flag was used instead of the lion's. The British Ceylon government used its own flag. The lion banner was produced in England and was kept at the Royal Hospital Chelsea. Over the years, the design of the flag was forgotten.

So, as the independence movement gained traction in the 20th century, E.W. Perera, an important figure in this movement, helped by D.R.Wijewardene, discovered the original Sri Lankan flag in Chelsea. An image of it was published in a special edition of the Dinamina newspaper indicating the hundred years since the end of Sinhalese independence. The lion banner became a way of attracting people, which they adopted again, for the first time after the fall of the Candi kingdom.

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  Flag of the Kingdom of Kandy, between 1798 and 1815

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  Flag of the British Ceylon, between 1815 and 1948

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  Flag of Ceylon, between 1948 and 1951

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  Flag of Ceylon between 1951 and 1972

Symbolism

The national flag of Sri Lanka represents the country and the union between the different ethnic minorities.

Most of the symbols on the flag have some meaning:

• The lion: the Sinhalese ethnic group.

• The leaves: Buddhism and its importance in the nation. They also mean kindness, joy, equality and friendship.

• The sword of the lion: the sovereignty of the nation.

• The tail of the lion: again Buddhism.

• The curly hair of the lion: religion and meditation.

• The beard of the lion: purity to words.

• The sword handle: the elements of earth, fire, air and water.

• The lion's nose: intelligence.

• The previous legs of the lion: purity to health.

• The orange vertical bar: the Tamil ethnicity.

• The green vertical bar: the Muslim ethnic group.

• The yellow frame: again Buddhism.

• The Granada fund: minority religions