The circle has since time immemorial had significance in following aspects of human beings covering the span from culture, tradition, art and even sports. Furthermore, the circle too had a symbol of wholeness and of perfection related to oneness and unity that has no beginning or end. Also, it is the symbol of the sun, earth and the universe and represents holiness, perfection and peace.
Following
are the different aspects.
1. The ring.
2. The wheel.
3. . Circle in art.
4. Circle of life.
5. . Olympic rings.
Let us now go into details of each of the above, elaborating on the reason why each signifies a particular aspect related to
human beings.
1. THE RING: The present customs of
a wedding ring has evolved from a combination of cultures and traditional
background. In earlier days there had been a widespread belief that the third
finger of the left hand had a particular vein called the vena amoris – considered the vein of
love that ran from the ring finger directly to the heart which is the seat of
love. Though science has debunked this theory as baseless due to the absence of
any evidence. The custom in wedding continues to be popular as the ring even to
this day remains the concrete sealing of the relationship between the bride and
the groom. However, rings in jewellery aren’t restricted to being worn in
fingers alone. In India, the ring is worn in various other parts of the body
for adornment, like the nose, ear and toes as well. Whereas in other east Asian
countries like Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar, Vietnam etc. women of certain
tribes even wear multiple brass rings around the neck, arms and legs as these
are considered by them symbolic of female beauty and social status.
2. THE WHEEL: In the present day, people take for granted the various available means of travel. As per the
archaeologists, the very first step towards man-made transportation is believed
to have originated from Mesopotamia or Asia sometime around 4000 to 3500 B.C.The requirement
arose from the need to transport the agricultural produce from one place to
another. And thus also arose the idea of trade and commerce. The evolutionary
step in this direction came with the invention of a chariot with two wheels. The birthplace of the chariot is believed to be Sumeria around 3500 B.C. This eventually led to the
development of a four-wheeled cart for carrying loads of supplies and equipment
off from the shoulders of the common man. The next big revolution in wheels came
with the invention of steam-powered locomotives in the early 19th
century. To this was attached several cars which could carry people and goods.
Over the next century improvement in locomotives from steam to electric-powered
changed the speed of transit forever. And with it came a significant reduction in travel time. During the above-stated span of a hundred
years, other forms of transportation like the bicycle and finally came the automobile which has been the single most important development in the history of transportation since the invention of the wheel.
3. CIRCLE OF ART: The circle
has been depicted in history as a different form of art. And each depiction had
a different representation and meaning in the different art forms. In the
fifteenth century, it was seen as a symbol for uniting the earth and divine, which
became an obsession of the Italian Renaissance painters. When God was conceived
(which is a creation of human imagination) of post-Galileo as God the geometer or
measurer; the circle became the leitmotif of art. In India, the Maurayas found the circular
pillars of great charm in the temples built by them. The halo that we always
see around Buddha and other depictions of Gods and Goddesses are always
circular. The Mughals gave it a new dimension with high rise circular domes, be
it in their mosques or other monuments built. Thus in the circle, we see forms par
excellence in art that merges the contradictions of spirit and matter through
its symbolic presence in art and motif.
4. CIRCLE OF LIFE: The word
circle implies the cycle of life which means change as an endless process. And it
is as certain as death and passing of time. Either a person frets and fights it
with the ensuing sleepless night of anxiety and uncertainty. The other
alternative is to better accept the eventuality and ride it because it is the
way the change is to be taken to our best advantage. In everything of nature,
change is inevitable and that is accompanied by uncertainty. To accept the
discomfort of facing the unknown is the first step in accepting the change.
The theme “Circle of Life” means different things to
different people, depending on the way one chooses to look at it. In the
broader view, the concept means evolution from the single-celled amoebae to sea
creatures to amphibians and ultimately the mammals attaining the highest form
in human beings. When viewed from a different perspective it could also mean
the rich tapestry of human life experiences. From birth to youth and then
adult, ultimately old age and finally death.
In most of us, there is always a fear of change which originates from the apprehension of losing the present precious that exists in status quo which could mean freedom, security, physical and material comforts etc. But the wheel of life is perpetually in motion revolving around, presenting new opportunities. If change is taken in this perspective then life becomes an exhilarating experience. It is up to us how we grind this wheel in the ever-present circle of life
5. THE OLYMPIC RINGS: This is the official symbol used for the world's grand sporting event held once every four years. And in this, the best sportsperson from all nations of the world congregate to participate in this event. Called the Olympics, this is the showpiece of the sporting calendar so much so that the five interlinked rings are a trademark of the International Olympic Committee. The rings represent the five continents of the world. The five colours of the rings from left to right on top are blue for Europe, black for Africa, red for Americas(both north and south), yellow representing Asia and green representing Australia along the bottom.
Ancient Origin of the Olympics is surrounded by myth and legend. It is well known that the modern Olympics as we know it, was in fact created by a Frenchmen Baron Pierre de Coubertin in 1913. And the rings first appeared on the Olympic flag in 1920 Olympics in Antwerp, Belgium
The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not triumph but struggle. The essential thing is, not to have conquered but to have fought well.
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