The link between the chakras and the rainbow colours is a very recent Western addition.
In 1977 Christopher Hills published a book entitled “Nuclear Evolution”. He was the first person to link the chakras to the rainbow colours. The association of the chakras with the rainbow colours is not found in any of the Upanishads the ancient scriptures of India.
In the Shat-Chakra-Nirupa compiled in 1577 each chakra is said to a have number of petals, a colour and a bija mantra. (Arthur Avalon, The Serpent Power 1974)
Chakra One (Muladhara) – four petals – yellow – LAM
Chakra Two (Svadisthana) – six petals – white – VAM
Chakra Three (Manipura) – ten petals – red – RAM
Chakra Four (Anahata) – twelve petals – grey – YAM
Chakra Five (Vishuddha) – sixteen petals – white – HAM
Chakra Six (Ajna) – two or 96 petals – white/silver – OM
Chakra Seven (Sahasrara) – 1,000 petals – Gold – Silence or All Sounds.
Harish Johari a leading authority on the chakras, has similar colours for the chakras in his book ‘Energy Centers of Transformation’ -
Muladhara – Yellow with Red Petals
Svadisthana – White / Light Blue / Transparent with Red Petals
Manipura – Red with Blue Petals
Anahata – Colourless / Smokey Grey / Smokey Green with Red Petals
Vishuddha – Smokey Purple with Lavender Grey and Purple Petals
Ajna – White / Luminescent / Bluish with Pale Blue Petals
Sahasrara – All Colours with Rainbow Coloured Petals
The chakra colours that
Harish Johari mentions are the ones found in most Indian texts.
For more information on the Chakras please go to -
http://www.simonheather.co.uk/pages/articles/understanding_the_chakras.pdf
