It would be fair to say I’m mildly fascinated and a little obsessed by the Swastika symbol. My introduction to it began with my grandfather who, having fought and beat the Germans in WWII, would inspect all the Airfix model kits I would make as a child with a wry smile; and also much later when I studied the Nazi brand identity and design system as part of my on-going design education – it is extremely good fodder in the world of international branding, many companies currently employ similar monolithic structures. I even use a bastardised version of it as the symbol of my mickey taking website themickey.com.
Its name comes from the Sanskrit word svasti (sv = well; Asti = is) meaning good fortune, luck and well-being. Its meaning in Hindu is of peace and truth and it is the formal symbol of the Ganesh (the god with an elephant’s head) who is the lord of wisdom and the remover of obstacles (problem solving). In ancient times it is thought that the Swastika was originally brought to India by the Aryans who also brought Hinduism with them (apparently), but that’s a whole other story.
Here’s my collection found on my travels around India, I’ve amassed a fantastika collection for the bunker back home also, which will no doubt make a posting in the near future. Ommm.
Inky Sporran™ 