Prime Minister Narendra Modi's unveiling of the Indian national emblem atop the new parliament building sparked huge controversy. Opposition parties have questioned why the Prime Minister, as head of the Executive, unveiled the emblem. They have also said that the emblem has been modified and "insulted".
Amidst the whole controversy, let's see what is the history and symbolic meaning of the original Ashok Stambh.
The Ashok Stambh was originally placed at Sarnath during the reign of the great Mauryan emperor Ashoka. The pillar features Asiatic lions standing back to back on a single block of yellow sandstone, symbolising power, courage, confidence, and pride, mounted on a circular base.
The circular base features four animals-- Bull, Horse, Elephant and lion. As per historians, The four animals are regarded as the guardians of four directions - the lion for the north, the elephant for the east, the horse for the south and the bull for the west.
The chakra and its 24 spokes represent the number of hours in a day and portray the passage of time.
Below the abacus is inscribed 'Satyameva Jayate' in Devanagari script, which means ‘Truth alone triumphs'. The words are a quote from the Mundaka Upanishad, which is the last and believed to be the most philosophical of the four Vedas.
In the 2D form of the National Emblem, only one Ashok Chakra is visible in the front with the galloping horse on the left and the bull on the right of it. The Ashok Chakra is believed to be a form of the Buddhist Dharma Chakra.
Read: National Emblem row: Former ASI official says cast atop new Parliament a 'good copy', political commentary not right
