SHRINES

The swastika or sauwastika, 卐 or 卍, is a geometrical figure and an ancient religious icon in the cultures of Eurasia. Swastik is used as a symbol of divinity and spirituality in Indian religions. It was a symbol of auspiciousness and good luck. It became a feature of Nazi symbolism as an emblem of Aryan identity. Because of World War II, people in the Western World associate Swastika with Nazism and antisemitism.

The name swastika comes from Sanskrit word swastik, meaning 'conducive to well being' or 'auspicious'. In Hinduism, the symbol with arms pointing clockwise (卐) is called swastika, symbolizing surya ('sun'), prosperity and good luck. The counterclockwise symbol (卍) is called sauvastika, symbolizing night or tantric aspects of Kali. In Jainism, a swastika is the symbol for Suparshvanatha, the seventh of 24 Tirthankaras who were spiritual teachers and saviours. In Buddhism it symbolizes the auspicious footprints of the Buddha. The swastika also symbolizes lightning bolts, representing the thunder god and the king of the gods, such as Indra in Vedic Hinduism, Jupiter in the ancient Roman religion, Zeus in the ancient Greek religion, and Thor in the ancient Germanic religion.