Flag of Sri Lanka
the Lion Flag
A golden lion holding a sword on a maroon panel with a gold bo leaf in each corner, next to a green and an orange vertical stripe, all inside a gold border.
At a glance
- Adopted
- May 22, 1972the lion flag was first adopted for Ceylon in 1948, changed in 1953, and given its current form (with bo leaves) in 1972
- Shape (height : width)
- 1:2
- Capital
- Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte
- Continent
- Asia
- Colours
- maroon
- gold
- green (teal)
- orange (saffron)
What it means
- Lion and maroon panel: the Sinhalese people; the lion's sword (kastane) shows the nation's strength
- Orange stripe: the Tamil people
- Green stripe: the Muslims (Moors)
- Gold border: the other smaller communities of the island
- Four bo leaves: the Buddhist values of kindness (metta), compassion (karuna), sympathetic joy (mudita) and calm (upekkha)
Where it came from
The lion goes back a very long way. An old mural in the Dambulla cave temple shows King Dutugemunu's banner with a lion holding a sword, and the Kingdom of Kandy used a lion standard until 1815, when the British replaced it with the Union Flag.
When Ceylon became independent in 1948, it took up the lion flag again. The design is credited to D. S. Senanayake, the first prime minister.
History
After independence, a green and an orange stripe were added to stand for the island's minorities, and the flag was changed in 1953. At first the corners of the maroon panel held spearheads.
In 1972, when Ceylon became the Republic of Sri Lanka, the spearheads were replaced by four leaves of the bo tree, the tree under which the Buddha is said to have found enlightenment.
Fun facts
- The lion holds a kastane, a traditional Sri Lankan sword.
- The flag's corner leaves come from the sacred bo (fig) tree.
- Its exact colours are set by a Sri Lankan standard, SLS 1:2020.
Easy to mix up with
Bhutan: Bhutan also has an animal, a white dragon, but on a yellow and orange diagonal field
Questions
What does the flag of Sri Lanka look like?
A golden lion holding a sword on a maroon panel with a gold bo leaf in each corner, next to a green and an orange vertical stripe, all inside a gold border.
What do the colours and symbols on the flag of Sri Lanka mean?
Lion and maroon panel: the Sinhalese people; the lion's sword (kastane) shows the nation's strength; Orange stripe: the Tamil people; Green stripe: the Muslims (Moors); Gold border: the other smaller communities of the island; Four bo leaves: the Buddhist values of kindness (metta), compassion (karuna), sympathetic joy (mudita) and calm (upekkha).
When was the flag of Sri Lanka adopted?
The current flag of Sri Lanka was adopted on May 22, 1972. (the lion flag was first adopted for Ceylon in 1948, changed in 1953, and given its current form (with bo leaves) in 1972)
What colours are on the flag of Sri Lanka?
The flag of Sri Lanka uses maroon, gold, green (teal) and orange (saffron).
Which flag is easy to mix up with the flag of Sri Lanka?
It is easy to mix up with the flag of Bhutan. Bhutan also has an animal, a white dragon, but on a yellow and orange diagonal field
Famous landmarks in Sri Lanka
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Sources
- en.wikipedia.org
- crwflags.com
- Flag picture: flagcdn.com (Wikimedia Commons)