Sri Lankan coat of arms

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National coat of arms

The Sri Lankan coat of arms was adopted in its present form after the establishment of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka in 1972.

It shows a circular plaque in red with a white, blue and white border, a striding golden lion holding a sword in its right front paw. Behind it, the 16 petals of a lotus protrude in a gold-blue-gold bordered blue circle . This circle is surrounded by two golden rice ears in white, which in turn are surrounded by a golden ring. The ears of rice grow together with two smaller, hanging ones from a golden vase that bears the plaque and stands on a golden base. Above the central plaque there is a smaller, golden one with a blue Dharmachakra. On the side of the vase there are two more small, blue-rimmed red plaques that show a golden moon and its golden sun with faces. The entire coat of arms is surrounded by a blue line.

The lion, which is also shown in the flag of Sri Lanka , comes from the banner of the last king of Kandy . The rice is the most important agricultural product of the country, all other symbols are from the Buddhist tradition of the Sinhalese majority: the blue dial, in another form in the flag of India depicted, represents the Buddhist teachings, its eight spokes symbolize the Eightfold Path . The lotus ( Nelumbo nucifera ) is a symbol of purity, the sun and moon (which are also found in the flag of Nepal ) symbolize longevity.

The coat of arms follows less European heraldic principles, but rather resembles a mandala in its shape . It was created after the founding of the Republic of Sri Lanka by a six-member commission based on the coat of arms of the Dominion Ceylon . This older, simpler coat of arms, despite its unheraldic shape, was confirmed by the College of Arms after the state's independence in 1954.

The coat of arms of the British crown colony Ceylon and that of the older Dutch colony showed an elephant frontally between palm trees. The front legs of the elephant in the Dutch coat of arms were covered with two shields, on which the coats of arms of eight cities on the island of Ceylon were combined.

  • Coat of arms of the Dominion Ceylon (1954–1972)

  • British colonial coat of arms (1802-1948)

  • Dutch colonial coat of arms (1702–1796)

  • Portuguese colonial coat of arms (? –1658)

See also

Web links

  • Entry on www.ngw.nl (English)