Swastika Meaning And History

Swastika is a Sanskrit that means all is well, good fortune, luck and well being.  It is an ancient cosmic or religious symbol formed by a Greek cross with the ends of the arms bent at right angles in both clockwise or a counterclockwise direction. If it turns to clockwise direction it is being good, if counterclockwise it is being destructive. The nazism has imbued this symbol with evil associations, no matter which direction it turns. It is used widely throughout the world as a symbol of prosperity and good fortune. In India, it continues to be the most common symbol of Hindus and Jains, as well as for Buddhists, for whom it symbolizes the Buddhas footprints. It was even used as a decoration in the synagogues of ancient Israel.  The counterclockwise swastika was adopted as the symbol of the Nazi Party at its founding in 1919 – 20. The idea of taking on the swastika as the symbol of the Nazis came from Adolf Hitler himself. Swastika was used on the flag, badge, and armband of Nazi Germany. Because of its usage in Nazi Germany the symbol of swastika has become stigmatized in the Western world.