The Buddhist Flag

Jointly devised by Mr J.R.de Silva and Colonel Olcott, founding President of the Theosophical Society (1875) to mark the revival of Bsm. in

Ceylon which followed the arrival in the Island of Col. Olcott and H.P.Blavatsky in 1880, when they publicly took Pansil as Bsts.

First used 1888 when Wesak (q.v.) celebrated as a public holiday.

The six colours are those alleged in the Scriptures to have radiated from the aura of the Buddha.

Flag consists of the six colours red, blue, yellow, white and rose in vertical stripes with ‘a tint compounded of them all together’, represented by these five colours in horizontal stripes at the end.

Adopted by the World Fellowship of Buddhists, and now used widely in Bst. buildings and at Bst. celebrations.