Hindu Books > History > Hindu History - A Search For Our Present In History > Chapter Three : The Hindu Ethos > Hindu Symbols And Symbolisms - Omkar, Swastika, The Saffron Colour, And Purna-Kumbha

Jain Munis Jain Munis and Buddhist Bhikkus (monks living upon alms) always where saffron coloured robes. But among the Hindus this colour is most prominently visible in their flag, robes, the Tilaka (mark applied on the forehead), statues of Hindu Gods are daubed with saffron paste. In the diverse and multifaceted Hindu religion, the saffron colour is one of the few elements that commands a universal acceptance among Hindus. The fact that this colour is regarded as sacred even by the offspring Jain, Buddhist and Sikh religions indicates that this colour must have obtained a religious significance before they came into being. Thus, Hinduism is the birthplace of the idea that the saffron colour is an auspicious one. The origin of this attitude lies in the hazy past when pigments were few and were highly prized. Plants and minerals have generally been the source for deriving pigments. The saffron pigment is traditionally derived from the saffron plant (Autumn crocus) which is called Keshar from which the saffron colour derives one of its names - Keshari. This plant is grown in the sub-Himalayan regions and is very rare. This rarity could have been a reason for this particular colour to be highly valued and this along with its golden hue raised it to the status of being a holy colour. That the golden colour of the precious yellow metal had a special status apart from the high monetary value attached to it is evident from the term Suvarna that is used to describe it. Suvarna means the good colour (Su=good, varna=colour). This word was normally used to refer to gold rather than the other word Hiranya (derived possibly as an adjective of Harina which means a deer - an animal having a golden-brown sheen). Among other words used to describe the saffron colour are Bhagva and Naranga. The term Bhagva could have been derived from the word Bhagvan (meaning God) to identify this colour as the one associated with God. Incidentally in Sanskrit the term for good fortune is Bhagya which also is indicative of the auspicious significance attached to this colour. The "Sacred Colour" concept in Different Cultures The sanctification of a particular colour is not peculiar to Hinduism. In other religions also this attitude is prevalent. For instance Muslims look upon Green colour as their religious standard.. Among present day Christians (originally among the Romans), the purple colour was regarded as a colour of divinity and royalty.

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