I’d seen Tibetan flags on the rear windshield of cars, and wondered why someone would want to keep them in Chennai. Was it some sort of political statement?

When Club Artizen reached out to our partners in Himachal Pradesh, near the Dalai Lama’s monastery, I realized there was more to it than met the eye.

The flags are means to spread goodwill and compassion to all. They contain motifs from Tibetan spirituality, and the idea is to let the wind carry the words and blessings everywhere the wind blows. For vehicles, it started with bikers whose flags took the blessings from the mountains to wherever they were from, and the same was adopted by car owners as well.

The flags can be horizontal (per usual) or horizontal (sometimes seen on poles). They are usually strung from a higher area to a lower one, to enable the goodwill and blessings to flow freely. There is also an order to the colour of the flags:

• Blue symbolizes the sky and space
• White symbolizes the air and wind
• Red symbolizes fire
• Green symbolizes water
• Yellow symbolizes earth

The flags are hung especially where there is wind, so that goodwill can be spread to all of humankind. Traditionally, people replace the flags during the Tibetan New Year. Being a sacred object, the flags must be treated with respect. Old ones are burnt, and they are not to be used in clothing or placed on the ground.

Club Artizen’s Tibetan Prayer Flags are made by our partner organization, a sustainable products initiative that is at the foothills of McLeodGanj, the seat of the Dalai Lama. Their work encompasses cleaning Dharamshala, and creating eco-friendly products as a livelihood project!

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