The Victory Banner originated from the early Buddhism and it is a symbol used to represent the Buddha’s enlightenment, as a sign of the triumph of knowledge over ignorance. It is said to have been placed on the summit of Mt. Meru (a sacred mountain in Buddhism and Hinduism cosmology), by Buddha himself, symbolizing his victory over the entire universe (physical, spiritual and metaphysical).
Within the Tibetan tradition a list of eleven different forms of the victory banner is given to represent eleven specific methods for overcoming “defilements” (Sanskrit: klesha). Many variations of the dhvaja’s design can be seen on the roofs of Tibetan monasteries (Gompa,Vihara) to symbolyze the Buddha’s victory over four maras.
