Colored flags(?)

I live in an area with people of many, many different faiths. I believe some of my neighbors( not right next door or I would know them and could ask) are Hindu. I see these pretty colored flags, sometimes with gold trim on wood poles around 3 feet tall or so in a patch in front of their homes. Is that a Hindu tradition and if so what is the significance? Thanks in advance for your anticipated response.

TJ73 said:

I live in an area with people of many, many different faiths. I believe some of my neighbors( not right next door or I would know them and could ask) are Hindu. I see these pretty colored flags, sometimes with gold trim on wood poles around 3 feet tall or so in a patch in front of their homes. Is that a Hindu tradition and if so what is the significance? Thanks in advance for your anticipated response.

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They might be Buddhist... sounds like prayer flags to me. We have flags at temple but I'm not aware of a tradition of flags at home. You could ask them

Aum Hari Aum!

I agree with krishnakanta, they sound like Buddhist flags.

Are they like this?


If so, they're Buddhist flags.

If you've seen say, a deity you know is Hindu, they may still be Buddhist (with some Hindu deities being in Buddhism as well), or they may be Nepali or from near such a place, I've noticed from personal experience Nepalis frequently have both Hindu and Buddhist beliefs.


Best bet is just to ask them if you can ask what they mean. Chances are they will be more than happy to explain.

Here in SA you find flags with Hanuman on too...

I agree with Odion and Atmarama. There is a cross over with deities between Hinduism and Mahayana/Vajrayana Buddhism. You may find Ganesh, Shiva, Sarasvati, Sri Devi, and others in Vajrayana iconography and prayer flags.

Aum Hari Aum!

Saraswati (Benzaiten) is even in some forms of Japanese Buddhism, along with (effectively) Shiva (Daikokuten), even Indra (Taishakuten) and Brahma (Bonten) are in it, too.

Strange, that.

Ganesh appears in Japan as well. I remember seeing a Buddhist statue a while back that had Sarasvati on one side and Ganesh on the other. I've also heard that Krishna appears in some Japanese temple art but I can't verify that so I don't know how true it is.

In terms of deities I think we have a lot in common with our Buddhist brothers/ sisters. It's obvious that some deities were never lost from the tradition while others were reintroduced when Buddhism spread to Sri Lanka and into the Himalayas. Vishnu for example, is still very important among the Sinhala Buddhist community. Palden Lhamo in Tibet is none other than Sri Devi. Also within the Tantric tradition the Kalachakra Tantra is filled with very interesting references to Hindu deities.

Aum Hari Aum!

Oh yeah. I'd love to see some of them myself.

Some pics of Ganesha in Japan:

Unless it is the red flag with Hanuman in it, since it is referenced in the Mahabharata. I've seen a few red flags here and there at typical Hindu homes... along with OM windchimes.

Royal Falcon of God said:

Unless it is the red flag with Hanuman in it, since it is referenced in the Mahabharata. I've seen a few red flags here and there at typical Hindu homes... along with OM windchimes.

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It is common for Red Flags on top of a temple to indicate it is a Shakti temple.

I'm going to have to ask someone here, in town. A lot of people here are from Ghana and India. I know some are Shike ( i dont know how to spell it), Hindu and Muslim. I don't know any Buddhists so far. I just haven't met any yet. So this will be interesting. I am eager to know.I wish I could find a picture of what I'm talking about.

TJ73 said:

Shike ( i dont know how to spell it),

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Sikh.

Let us know if they are Buddhists or Hindus, I'm curious too now.