Is lord krishna black or blue? what is his actual color?

In many images, pictures or TV shows related to Indian mythology, Lord Krishna is always shown as a blue-colored god in them. Read this post also: 5 Amazing facts about Lord Krishna.

But actually this is not the truth. In reality he is black colored. His color is said to be that of dark monsoon clouds.

In this article, I will tell you What is Krishna’s actual color and why is he shown as Blue-colored.

Why is Krishna depicted as blue-colored?

Blue is the color of all-inclusiveness. You will see in the existence, anything that is vast and beyond your perception generally tends to be blue, whether it is the ocean or the sky.

Anything which is larger than your perception tends to be blue because blue is the basis of all-inclusiveness.

It is based on this that so many gods in India are shown as blue-skinned.

Shiva has a blue skin, Krishna has a blue skin, Rama has a blue skin. It is not that their skin was blue. They were referred to as blue gods because they had a blue aura.

Because his energy or the outermost ring of his aura was blue, he was simply irresistibly attractive – not because of the shape of the nose or the eyes or whatever.

There are any number of people with good noses, good eyes, and good bodies but they do not exude the same level of attraction. It is the blueness of one’s aura which suddenly makes a person irresistibly attractive.

This blueness, this sense of all-inclusiveness in him was such that even people who were sworn enemies of his sat with him and unwittingly gave in to him.

He was able to effortlessly turn around even people who abused and plotted to kill him any number of times.

What is his actual color?

Until about 150 years ago, Krishna was generally depicted with black complexion – jet black or variations of black.

Even the folios from Akbar’s copy of Shrimaad Bhagvatam commissioned (1600s) show Krishna as dark blue.

Pics of Shrinathji prior to 1850s are also of dark hue. Most stone and wooden statues of Krushna were also black at this point. Metal images were the only ones that were “fair” or golden.

By the time of Pahari paintings (1800s), Krushna is light blue in colour and no longer black.

Even in Rajasthan, Krushna becomes lighter shade of black. Even Shrinathji becomes indigo blue in popular depiction.

Now-a-days, most stone statues of Krushna are made of white marble and he is depicted white – despite the fact that marble can be painted in shade of any colour they want.

Indeed, most marble statues are painted with clothes and jewels so they could paint it black if they want. All current representation of Krushna, even on calendar art, is waterdown version of black / blue.

This “gorification” (making everything ‘fair’ of our ancient heroes is mainly because society now values fair skin color above a dark one.

This could be because we were ruled by fair and white skinned people for a number of centuries, making us – the commoners – consider fair skin to be a pre-requisite for power and position.

I know – a bit too much pseudo psychology that smacks of reverse racism but I can’t explain it any other way.

As to why Krushna is black – * Krish + na = He who attracts. Black colour absorbs heat.

Black colour absorbs energy. As we know, black hole even attracts light ! So Krushna is literally, he who attracts and absorbs all things around him.

He attracted the souls of the good and the great and even wicked people when they died, merged with Krushna. No one – not even the evil is rejected. Such is the compassion of Krushna !

*Black is the colour of space and ether. Krushna is as boundless and endless as space.

Vishnu has come to earth in many hues and skin tones. According to scriptures, he has even been white, golden, red and black.

God can taken on any form, so a specific colour is of no big deal. God has come as a fish, boar, wild man with lion head, brahmin, kshtriya, vaishya (Yadava) to show that divinity exists in any and every form.

Species, race, ethnicity, gender, colour, these are only labels. God exists beyond them all. God is reflected in the soul of every creature in the universe. Let us embrace God in every hue possible.

For more such facts about Lord Krishna, visit this site: Lord Krishna Facts.

DISCLAIMER: The author is solely responsible for the views expressed in this article. The author carries the responsibility for citing and/or licensing of images utilized within the text.