Prayer Flags also called Lung-ta (Tibetan name) are of square or rectangular shape and are connected along their top edges to a long string or thread. They are commonly hung on a diagonal line from high to low between two objects (e.g., a rock and the top of a pole) in high places such as the tops of temples, monasteries, stupa, or mountain passes.
Traditionally, prayer flags me in a set of five colors that correspond with the Five Elements. The five colors are arranged from left to right in a specific order: blue, white, red, green, and yellow. According to Traditional Tibetan medicine, health and harmony are produced through the balance of the five elements. Usually, the prayer flags are surrounded by approximately 400 different versions of traditional mantras each dedicated to a particular deity and symbols.
- Blue symbolizes the sky and space
- White symbolizes the air and wind
- Red symbolizes fire
- Green symbolizes water
- Yellow symbolizes earth.
This flag has an image of his holiness the 14th current Dalai Lama. The Dalai Lama is also considered to be the successor in a line of tulkus who are believed to be incarnations of Avalokiteśvara, the Bodhisattva of Compassion, who chose to reincarnate to serve the people. Dalai Lama means Ocean of Wisdom.
