The National Emblem of India
The National Emblem of
India has an origin steeped in the culture and myriad colors of India. A symbol
of the modern Indian republic, the emblem is an adaptation from the Sarnath
Lion, capital of Emperor Ashoka the Great as preserved in the Sarnath Museum situated
near Varanasi in the north Indian province of Uttar
Pradesh.
The National Emblem of India is a near-replica of the Lion
Capital of Sarnath. The Lion Capital was erected atop a Pillar in around 250 BC
by Emperor Ashoka the Great to mark the spot where Buddha first preached his
Dharma (gospel of peace and emancipation) and where the Buddhist Sangha was
founded.
In the original Lion Capital of Emperor Ashoka, there stand four Asiatic lions,
back to back, mounted on a circular abacus with a frieze carrying sculptures in
high relief of an elephant, a galloping horse, a bull and a lion separated by
intervening wheels over a bell-shaped lotus. These wheels stand for the
"Ashoka Chakra" or "Dharmachakra" or the "Eternal
wheel of law" as mentioned in the Hindu scriptures. The whole of the Lion
Capital was carved out of a single block of polished sandstone.
The Indian National Emblem, modeled on the Lion Capital, features 3 lions. The
fourth lion is hidden from sight since it is positioned at the rear end; so is
the bell-shaped lotus flower situated beneath. The frieze beneath the lions is
shown with a wheel in the center, a bull on the right, a galloping horse on the
left, and outlines of Dharma Chakras on the extreme right and left. The wheel
at the centre of the abacus symbolizes the "Dharma Chakra".
The three lions (the one hidden from the front view excluded) represent power,
courage and confidence, and rest on a circular abacus girded by four smaller animals
that are separated by intervening wheels. These four animals are the guardians
of the four directions:
the lion of the north,
the elephant of the east,
the horse of the south and
the bull of the west.
The abacus rests on a lotus in full bloom, instancing the fountainhead of life
and creative inspiration. Inscribed below the emblem in Devanagari script is
the motto 'Satyameva Jayate' meaning "Truth Alone Triumphs". It is a
quote from the Mundaka Upanishad, the concluding part of the sacred Hindu Vedas.
The Lion Pillar was adopted as the National Emblem of India on 26 January 1950,
the day India became a republic.
The National emblem is used only for official purposes and commands the highest
respect and loyalty. It is the official seal of the President of India and
Central and State Governments. It forms a part of the official letterhead of
the Government of India. It also appears prominently on all Indian currency as
well as on the diplomatic and national Passport
of the Republic of India. The wheel on it, known as "Dharma Chakra"
or popularly "Ashoka Chakra", has even been placed onto the center of
the modern National Flag of India.
In the contemporary times, the national emblem of India stands as a symbol of
modern India's reassertion of its ancient commitment to world peace and
goodwill. To the 1 billion Indians, it serves as an inspiration and is a matter
of pride. To the world, it stands as glowing symbol of independent India's
identity and sovereignty.
