swastika

The swastika is a symbol with a long history in many cultures. The name comes from the Sanskrit svastika, meaning “auspicious” or “well-being.” Its most common form is a cross with four arms bent at right angles, but it has appeared with various orientations and decorations across different regions and eras.

There are two principal orientations: clockwise (often called the right-facing swastika) and counterclockwise (the left-facing form, sometimes termed sauwastika). In Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism the symbol is generally a sign of good fortune, prosperity, and spiritual well-being and is used in temples, art, and ritual objects. In East Asia the symbol is also referred to as manji, with orientation sometimes carrying different meanings in local traditions.

Historically the swastika appears in ancient artifacts across the Indian subcontinent, Central Asia, and parts of Europe and the Near East, long before modern religions adopted it. It has been used in jewelry, architecture, numismatics, and religious iconography as a positive emblem of life, movement, and auspiciousness.

In the 20th century the symbol was appropriated by the National Socialist Party of Germany and became the emblem of Nazi Germany, rotated and stylized on flags and insignia. This association gave the symbol a powerful negative charge in the modern world, linking it to antisemitism and totalitarianism.

Today the swastika remains a positive symbol in many Asian religious contexts but is controversial in the West and some countries. In Germany and several other places its display is restricted or regulated, reflecting its use as a symbol of extremist ideology.