Colour Mutation

One example is that of bhagua, gherua or ochre, which was the colour worn by ascetics from the time of Shankaracharya and after. Bhagua is a muted mixture of pale brown and peach and the result of cloth dyed with the reddish colour of the earth. What was bhagua earlier in terms of both colour and its ascetic connotation has today been transferred to bright orange, which has become symbolic both of religious life and of Hindutva militancy. The orange of Hindutva is an example of a new significance added to a specific colour. A colour closely aligned today to bhagua and orange is saffron, kesari. A cloth dyed in saffron has a golden orange hue. The subtlety of kesari colour on cloth is today difficult because of the costs involved and the troublesome dyeing process. As in the case of bhagua, bright synthetic orange substitutes for saffron as well, even though the physical origins and visual effect of all three colours are different.

Bhagua or ochre is derived from the red oxides of the earth, orange is a synthetic colour and saffron is the name given to the deep red stamens of the crocus flower. In India, it has traditionally been grown by the Kashmiri Muslims in Pampore. Saffron is very expensive because each saffron flower contains only three threads which have to be hand-picked. It therefore takes many crocus flowers to get a small quantity of this stuff. The flower yields a wonderful golden colour when infused in water and has strong colouring power.

The fact that saffron is precious, rare and golden hued has in the past given to kesar its symbolism linked to sacrifice and valour since both these qualities are precious and rare. These qualities are, of course, linked to idealism and to a cause which is inevitably connected to patriotism.

Saffron, which is historically synonymous with sacrifice and patriotism, is therefore represented in our national flag. The connotations of saffron have today expanded to absorb other concepts. In contemporary India, 8216;saffron8217; primarily advertises its links with Hindutva, the 8216;saffronisation8217; of education, history, politics or even the 8216;saffron8217; dollar. Centuries ago, both the Rajputs and the Sikhs wore kesari turbans whenever courage and sacrifice were demanded. Guru Gobind Singh 1675-1708 tied this turban on the five low caste men who showed great courage and spirit of sacrifice and started the Khalsa movement.

Kesari is the word in Sanskrit for the golden coloured lion and the metaphor for India under colonial rule, which was represented by the elephant. It was this patriotic link that made Lokmanya Tilak start a newspaper called Kesari.

How curious it is that words like kesari and gherua have lost their significance and others like saffron and bhagua have in present times found great validity. And, of course, there is always bright orange, a modern synthetic invention, annihilating the mystery of the colours it represents, colours that were born out of historic need and powerful destiny.