Friday 31 July 2009

Swastik

Swastika symbol has a lot of relevance for people in India. Though, Swastik sign is adopted by people of all religions, but it is especially popular amongst the Hindus. The term Swastika has been derived from the Sanskrit word "Svastika", which means well being. Swastika is considered to be a mark of auspiciousness and good fortune. Red Swastika is the sign of Hindus, which depicts a cross with four arms of equal lengths. The end of each of the arms is bent at a right angle. At times, dots are also added between the arms.

Swastika has been a sacred symbol of Hindus since ages. There are millions of people who support as well as advocate the use of Swastik; thereby popularizing it in such a manner that it seems to have its relevance not just in the past but also in the present society. Significance The symbol of Swastika is considered to be highly auspicious and thus it is quite often used in the art and architecture of Hindus. It finds a special place for itself in the wedding decorations. Swastika designs can be found in temples, doorways, clothing, cars etc. Most of the wedding cards have the Swastik symbol imprinted on them. In Hinduism, the two symbols represent the two forms of the creator god Brahma: facing right it represents the evolution of the universe , facing left it represents the envolution of the universe. It is also seen as pointing in all four directions (north, east, south and west) and thus signifies stability and grounded ness. Its use as a sun symbol can first be seen in its representation of the god Surya . The swastika is considered extremely holy and auspicious by all Hindus, and is regularly used to decorate items related to Hindu culture. Throughout the subcontinent of India, it can be seen on the sides of temples, religious scriptures, gift items, and letterheads. The Hindu deity Ganesh is often shown sitting on a lotus flower on a bed of swastikas.
The swastika is found all over Hindu temples, signs, altars, pictures and iconography where it is sacred. It is used in Hindu weddings, festivals, ceremonies, houses and doorways, clothing and jewelry, motor transport and even decorations on food items such as cakes and pastries. In the Bhavishyapurann (a book describing future events and history), it is a weapon of a snake king (dragon), Takshak. A city in Pakistan is named after this dragon, Takshshila.
"Swastika" is a common given name amongst Bengalis and a prominent literary magazine in Kolkataa (Calcutta) is called the Swastika.

The Swastika is one of the 108 symbols of Hindu deity Vishnu and represents the sun's rays, upon which life depends.
Here I tried to depict different ways to draw Swastiks.