Most cricket boards have their own comprehensive websites...curiously, BCCI continues to be an exception to that. Strangely, it continues to be without a website of its own. In such a state, one can only gather information from various sources and come up with something which might be close to the truth.
This is what I put up about India/BCCI colours and logo at The Cricket Watcher's Journal 1.
This happens to be the best shot of the BCCI flag I could find on the web. That in itself is a story and wake-up call for the Indian board. However, continuing...
The sporting colours of the Indian cricket team and it's logo are derived from the flag.
The light blue and gold are the primary colours with hints of the darker blue.
The origins of these colours can only be guessed.
Considering that BCCI was a colonial establishment, the light blue is symbolic of the Christian concept that light blue signifies Divine cure.
In the same vein, the yellow/gold band could represent the sparkling gold of baptism in Holy Christ.
As to the darker blue, I haven't the slightest idea and my research hasn't revealed much on it.
Coming to the star/sun in the center, it is derived from the Star of India 2. Some other colonial medals can also be seen at this website 3.
I quote from sources - "The star of the Grand Commander of the Most Exalted Order of the Star of India, the highest class of the Star of India and the star that appears all over the place on British "colonial" flags in India."
Another source - "The Most Exalted Order of the Star of India was an Order of Chivalry instituted in 1861 and discontinued in 1947. "
However, the Star of India exists, albeit in a slightly modified form, at the center of the BCCI flag. BCCI, as we know, haven't been able to completely sever the philosophical umbilical cord with England and the colonial past. It remains one the few institutions in India which haven't completely relinquished their colonial heritage.
Take a look at the India cap Dravs is wearing. The Star of India is slightly modified now and instead of the pointed rays, now wears blunted rays...perhaps a concession to changed times, perhaps for graphical ease.
The above are the result of things I have read at different places...on the web and print. I could be wrong and would welcome suggestions. Hopefully, BCCI can construct a proper website soon enough and we can have more information about cricket in India and its history straight from the horse's mouth, so to speak.
It is possible the Star of India was used to represent all sports, and following independence in 1947, somehow it stuck with cricket and BCCI.
There is also a school of thought that the colour blue was adopted because it was thought to represent secularism, which is one of the cornerstones of India.
These are, as I said, conjectures...only BCCI can tell us where the truth lies.
It is with this that I commence a record of my impressions of domestic cricket in India.
References
- The Cricket Watcher's Journal
- Medals.org.uk
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