☬ Adi Shakti / Khanda Symbol: Meaning, History, and Usage
The ☬ symbol, officially named Adi Shakti in the Unicode standard but widely known as the Khanda, is the primary emblem of Sikhism. It consists of a central double-edged sword, a circular shape called a chakar, and two curved swords known as kirpans crossed at the bottom. Together, these elements symbolize divine knowledge, the eternal and infinite nature of God, and the essential balance of spiritual and political authority.
In the digital realm, ☬ resides at Unicode code point U+262C within the Miscellaneous Symbols block. It was introduced early in Unicode's history, in version 1.1 back in 1993. A fascinating piece of digital history surrounds its official name, "ADI SHAKTI". This name was assigned because the symbol was originally proposed by representatives of the 3HO (Kundalini Yoga) movement, who use the emblem under that name. Despite this official Unicode designation, the vast majority of people recognize and use it as the traditional Sikh Khanda.
You will mostly encounter the ☬ symbol in religious, cultural, and personal contexts rather than math or science. On social media platforms, it is frequently placed in usernames, bios, and captions to express Sikh identity, celebrate Punjabi culture, or mark significant holidays like Vaisakhi. Because it is a text symbol and not a colorful emoji, its appearance will adapt to the font style and weight of the text it accompanies, giving it a sleek, typographic look across different digital platforms.
Typing the ☬ symbol requires a few quick shortcuts, depending on your device. On a Windows PC, you can use the Alt code by holding down the Alt key and typing 9772 on your numeric keypad. On a Mac, switch your keyboard to Unicode Hex Input and type 262C while holding the Option key. For web developers, the symbol can be easily embedded using the HTML entity ☬ or the hex code ☬. If shortcuts aren't your style, simply copying and pasting the symbol from the web is always a reliable backup.
Other symbols often grouped with the ☬ include emblems of different major world religions found in the same Unicode block. The Om symbol (🕉️), the Star and Crescent (☪️), and the Wheel of Dharma (☸️) serve similar functions for Hinduism, Islam, and Buddhism, respectively. While those symbols often have colorful emoji presentations on modern smartphones, the ☬ remains a classic, monochromatic text character that carries centuries of deep spiritual meaning.