2025-05-07 Wed

India's national Symbol , the LION Capital, represents one of the earliest stone sculptures commissioned under the patronage of the Mauryan Emperor Ashoka at Sarnath, Uttar Pradesh. This site holds historical significance as the location where Lord Buddha delivered his first sermon, and it is believed that the Lion Capital was erected to commemorate this pivotal event. Dated to the 3rd century BCE, the sculpture is meticulously carved from a single block of highly polished #Chunar stone.

The Lion Capital is currently housed in the Sarnath Museum and was excavated in 1904-05 by Friedrich Oscar Oertel, a civil engineer and an amateur archaeologist, alongside other significant artifacts. The capital features four lions, each with open mouths and positioned back-to-back, which are interpreted as symbols of Lord Buddha and the Four Noble Truths: Dukkha, Samudaya, Nirodha, and Magga. These majestic lions rest upon an intricately designed abacus that includes figures of a horse, an elephant, a lion, and a bull, each separated by a dharma Chakra consisting of 24 spokes. Scholars have noted that these four animals correspond to four key events in Lord Buddha’s life: the elephant represents Queen Maya’s dream of a white elephant entering her womb; the bull symbolizes his birth under the astrological SIGN of Vrishabha; the horse symbolizes Kanthaka, the horse that pulled the chariot when Lord Buddha was leaving his palace to embark on a path of asceticism; and the lion signifies the enlightened Buddha, often referred to as Shakyasimha. The abacus itself is supported by an upturned lotus, a recurring motif in Buddhist art that signifies purity.

On November 21, 1947, India Post issued the first set of three commemorative stamps of independent India, with the initial #stamp prominently featuring the Ashoka Pillar, valued at 1 ½ Anna.