A STUDY ON THE CREATION OF THE BUDDHIST FLAG

Abstract

The Buddhist flag, created by combining the six colours of blue, green, red, yellow, orange and mixed colours emanating from the Buddha's body, is one of the identities of Buddhists. For several years, on Valentine's Day, which falls on 14th February, a news item circulating on social media is that 'the Buddhist flag was created on 14th February, 1885'. Therefore, the idea that Buddhists should celebrate that day is gradually becoming popular. The purpose of this research is to study the veracity of that statement. The research question here became What is the basis for such a statement The study of literary sources was used as the research methodology. On 27th March, 1885, the Government gazetted the Vesak Full Moon Poya Day as a public holiday. The need to create a Buddhist flag arose simultaneously with this. Accordingly, the design of the Buddhist flag, approved by a committee formed, was first published in the Sarasavi Sandaresa newspaper on 17th April 1885. Later, on the Vesak full moon poya day which fell on 28th April, the new Buddhist flag was hoisted for the first time at Deepadutthamaramaya in Kotahena. Colonel Henry Olcott, who arrived in Sri Lanka on 28th January, 1886, was delighted to see the new Buddhist flag and took steps to change the length and width of the flag so that it would be easier to hoist and carry in Perahera. A key document that supports the claim that the Buddhist flag was created on 14th February, 1885, is an excerpt from Colonol Olcott's diary included in the book Olcott Memoirs, published in 1980. Accordingly, the design of the Buddhist flag, prepared according to an idea of Colonol Olcott, was accepted by the Colombo branch of the Buddhist Theosophical Society on 14th February, 1885. However, there is no mention of such in Colonel Olcott's published diaries, and Colonel Olcott did not even visit Sri Lanka in 1885. Therefore, it can be accepted that the claim that the Buddhist flag was created on 14th February, 1885, has no basis, and that Olcott's Memoirs contains an incorrect translation.