An elaborate filigree svastika or 'swastika', sacred to Hindusim, Buddhism, and the Jain and Bon religions.

An elaborate filigree svastika or 'swastika', sacred to Hindusim, Buddhism, and the Jain and Bon religions.

The earliest archaeological evidence of swastika-shaped ornaments dates back to the Indus Valley Civilization of Ancient India as well as Classical Antiquity. Swastikas have also been used in various other ancient civilizations around the world. The swastika remains widely used in Indian religions, specifically in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism, primarily as a tantric symbol to evoke shakti or the sacred symbol of auspiciousness. The word 'swastika' comes from the Sanskrit, literally meaning 'to be good'. Despite the use of the name swastika for the Nazi hakenkreuz or 'hook cross', the South Asian swastika has nothing to do with National Socialism or Fascism.

Album / Pictures From History/Universal Images Group

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4200 x 4180 px | 50.2 MB

35.6 x 35.4 cm | 14.0 x 13.9 in (300 dpi)