ShyBuzz is the official blog of http://shybuzz.com/, a leading Digital Communications, Social Media, Marketing and Brand Consulting agency situated in Mumbai, India
ShyBuzz is the official blog of http://shybuzz.com/, a leading Digital Communications, Social Media, Marketing and Brand Consulting agency situated in Mumbai, India
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Hidden Secrets of the Ashoka Pillar at Sarnath | Origin of India’s National Emblem
India’s national emblem is one of the most recognised symbols of the Republic. Most people know that it comes from the Lion Capital of Emperor Ashoka, and that the emblem shows three lions even though the original sculpture has four.
But the real story behind the symbol is far deeper.
The Lion Capital was carved more than 2,300 years ago from a single block of Chunar sandstone and placed atop an Ashokan pillar at Sarnath — the sacred site where Gautama Buddha delivered his first sermon.
For centuries the sculpture disappeared from public view and remained buried in ruins. It was rediscovered in 1905 during archaeological excavations led by F. O. Oertel.
The four lions were not originally meant to stand alone. Above them stood a massive Dharmachakra, the wheel of law. When the pillar collapsed centuries ago, the wheel shattered, leaving only fragments that can still be seen today in the Sarnath Museum.
The base of the sculpture carries four animals — an elephant, bull, horse and lion — each symbolising key moments in the life of the Buddha. The entire structure was polished using the famous Mauryan technique, giving it a mirror-like finish.
When India became a republic in 1950, the Lion Capital was chosen as the national emblem. The modern graphic version was drawn by Dinanath Bhargava, a 21-year-old artist who carefully studied lions to capture their form accurately.
The motto beneath the emblem — Satyameva Jayate (Truth Alone Triumphs) — comes from the Mundaka Upanishad and gives the symbol its moral foundation.
More than two thousand years after it was carved, this ancient sculpture continues to represent the authority of modern India.
And its message remains timeless.
Power does not stand above the law.
It stands beneath it.
Topics covered - ashoka pillar history, lion capital of ashoka, india national emblem origin, ashoka pillar sarnath history, satyameva jayate meaning, mauryan empire ashoka pillar, indian emblem explained, buddhist symbolism ashoka pillar, dinanath bhargava national emblem design, ancient india monuments history
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