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International Color Guide - India

Vibrant colors in art, crafts, clothing, and more are a hallmark of everyday Indian life.

India is a land of vivid, saturated color. Red and green is a common color combination for clothing: yellow and red are traditional color for weddings. Most colors have religious meanings that are strictly respected. Green is sacred for the Muslim and Parsi religions., while orange or saffron is meaningful for the Hindi.

The Hindu religion says there are three basic constituents in the world called gunas. Sattva is a white guna representing calmness, brightness and luminosity. Rajas is red and stands for passion and energy. The black guna, Tamas, represents anger and sloth.

Black is a strictly sanctioned color: orange is the most sacred. Black saris are poorly regarded at happy occasions like weddings, and only the most holy get to wear orange.

White means chastitiy and purity. For the Hindi, the Brahmin - the highest social caste - is associated with white. The Hindu leaders cover themselves with white ashes to represent their spiritual rebirth. White is also the color of mourning.

This color relates to death, evil and night. Black is considered unattractive, so much so that it is forbidden in some Hindu castes. A pregnant woman wears blue-black clothes or threads.

Red indicates both sensuality and purity. Wedding garments are typically red and yellow.

This color combination has a sacred meaning for the Hindu.
Saturated red and green is a popular color combination for traditional clothing.

Yellow is a very popular color in India. It represents the god Vishnu and is the color of the space between chastity and sensuality. Yellow clothes are worn and yellow food is eaten at spring festivals. Single girls wear yellow to attract a mate and keep evil spirits away.

In Hinduism, blue is a sacred color as it respresents Krishna. The Chakra, a Buddhist symbol representative of change, is the centerpiece of the Indian flag.

Green is sacred in both Muslim and Parsi religions. For the Hindu, it is a festive color. In Maharashtra, it represents life and happiness. For that reason, a widow does not wear green.

The most sacred color the Hindu is orange or saffron.