Emblem of Sri Lanka
| Emblem of Sri Lanka | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Details | |
| Armiger | Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka |
| Adopted | 1972 |
| Crest | A Dharmachakra azure on a bezant |
| Escutcheon | On a circular shield: Maroon, a lion passant Or bearing a Sri Lankan sword Or in its right forepaw; an orle enhanced azure bearing concentrically from the center outwards two annulets argent, the petals of a golden water lily proper, and an annulet Or; a bordure Or |
| Supporters | Golden symbols of the Sun and the Moon; the stalks of rice growing from the vase surrounding the shield |
| Compartment | A traditional grain vase |
| Other elements | An annulet Or passing under the crest and vase surrounding the stalks of rice; a bordure azure surrounding the entire arms |
The national emblem of Sri Lankais used by the State of Sri Lanka and the Sri Lankan government in connection with the administration and government of the country. The current emblem has been in use since 1972.
The emblem features a gold lion passant, holding a sword in its right fore paw (the same lion from the flag of Sri Lanka) in the centre on a maroon background surrounded by golden petals of a Blue Lotus the national flower of the country. This is placed on top of a traditional grain vase that sprouts sheaves of rice grains that circle the border reflecting prosperity.
The crest is the Dharmachakra, symbolizing the country's foremost place for Buddhism and just rule. Traditional Sinhalese heraldic symbols for the sun and the moon form the supporters. Sun and Moon, and Lion depicting Lord Buddha is given less prominence than cart wheel of English Buddhism, so it is in great discordance with National Scriptures.
The Portuguese had a coat of arms for their occupied territory in Sri Lanka, around 1505–1658. It has an Elephant in the foreground with palm trees around it and high mountains in the background.
It is not known when the coat of arms for the Dutch occupied territory of Sri Lanka was adopted. The coat of arms is from a manuscript dating from 1717 to 1720. The arms is very similar to the previous Portuguese one with a modified design. It show the geography of the island with mountains and palm trees, with an elephant and cinnamon bales, and two small shields. The elephant is used because it is an animal used for work on the island and it symbolises strength. In front of the elephant are three bales of cinnamon, used for it was the main export product at the time, and the elephant holds a cinnamon branch in its trunk.
Before independence, Ceylon used the coat of arms of the United Kingdom as the imperial emblem and a unique shield for the colony. This contained a Sri Lankan Elephant and Coconut trees and later a stupa.
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