Frequently Asked Questions

What does the swastikas represent in Bali

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I have seen Hindu swastikas on Bali

Rick, not wanting to offend you, but I disagree that the Nazi swastika is an inverted version of the one used by followers of Hinduism. I have seen Hindu swastikas on Bali and in India that were identical to Nazi swastikas. Sometimes an inverted swastika is incorrectly used in hollywood movies about the Nazi era or appear in books where images have been incorrectly inverted. The actual symbol is not different in any way to those used in Bali. The fact that the swastika is a common symbol used in Hinduism is a coincidence. Whilst the Nazi party was certainly sinister, the swastika was adopted from Roman culture where it symbolised positive values of power and strength. The Nazis adopted a large number of symbols primarily from Roman symbols (eg swastikas, roman numerals for army division numbers, and the more stylised eagle) and several symbols from North European runes (eg. the SS insignia).The swastika has been used by a large number of cultures across the globe and was largely a positive symbol until it was used by the Nazis. To westerners the swastika is now associated with evil, but in Asia it is still seen in a positive light.