Why are hindu deities often pictured as being blue?

Answer 1

Blue like the sky, shows their transcendental nature. It shows that they are gods, that they differ from human beings and have more and greater powers that they. A symbol such as a multi-armed image, graphically portraying God's astounding versatility and superhuman might. The use of symbolism extends to every detail of the image of a deity.

In India art is always symbolic and you will find a softness in its painting and sculpture. see Ajanta paintings. All lines are curved smooth. Blue colour is just symbolic. It has been associated in many different cultures and arts with devinity.

The Kangra school of paintings of Raga Vasantha portray a fair-coloured Krishna..... while Ragamalas from Bundi show a blue-coloured Krishna in yellow garments playing the veena.

In Tagore’s colour symbolism blue is existence, blue is roop, blue is lavanya, blue is anandablue is roop, blue is lavanya, blue is ananda.

Blue and yellow form Tagore’s favourite colour contrast
The interaction of colour and the five elements — earth, water, fire, air and the sky (akasa) — illuminates not only several disciplines such as Indian philosophy.

Blue stands for a sense of strength and power or force. it is colour of depth; of nature. ocean sky everything is a shade of blue.even fire has this shade.

Blue is the colour of the firmament, the sky and therefore of paradise. It symbolises divine truth and wisdom. The gods come from this colour: Osiris, Krishna, Vishnu, Buddha, Zeus and Yahweh rest their feet on the firmament. This blue celestial veil hides "the other side, the divine unknown", it is the cloak which "covers and veils the Divinity". Blue attracts man towards the infinite, wrote Kandinsky.

It is a fixed, cold colour encouraging meditation and rest oriented towards God.

In Tibetan Buddhism blue is the colour of transcendental wisdom and vacuity which opens the door to freedom.
Blue is the colour of Yang.

There may be another secular reason for using blue colour instead of black in india. Many art styles were originated as villages/tribal art. Blue colour was easily available and it was easier to draw facial features with coal on it. Some black dyes like ebony give blue streak.Ever tried an old black sketch pen? when the ink is fading it gives blue colour.they are not that different. Blue sky apears black in night.

Answer 2

This is just a theory I have but I will give it a shot.
Blue was the cheapest and easiest color to make back in the day. So most clothing was blue along with paint. It would make since that these images would have blue as a main color in them.
Same deal with uniforms back in the day, you notice they where almost always blue because it was cheaper.

Answer 3

It was somewhere written that lord rama and krishna had shades of blue clouds. So, they are potrayed as blue. However my parents say that they used to be black. All hindu gods are not potrayed as blue. Some are white like Bhrama, vinayaka, lakshmi.

Answer 4

maybe to express superiority: man has flesh and blood which gives him color, blue is the superior to that