In this post I have told you All Information about National Emblem of India, like What is Ashok Stambh, History Of Ashok Stambh, How was Ashok Stambh created, How many Lions in Ashok Stambh, Where is Ashok Stambh In India?
What is Ashok Stambh Piller
Emperor Ashoka was the third ruler of the Maurya Dynasty and was one of the most powerful kings of the Indian subcontinent in ancient times. He dated 273 BC. From 232 BC Ruled in India. Ashoka’s empire included most of India, South Asia and beyond, now Afghanistan and parts of Persia in the west, Bengal and Assam in the east and Mysore in the south. In Buddhist literature, Ashoka is described as a cruel and merciless emperor.
But after the Kalinga war, he embraced Buddhism and devoted his life to propagating the principles of religion. Ashoka built many stupas and pillars in different parts of the country. One of these pillars, which is located in Sarnath, has been adopted as the National Emblem of India, Importance Of Ashok Stambh Lions,
History Of Ashok Stambh in English
After becoming a Buddhist, Emperor Ashoka got Buddhism propagated in countries other than India. He sent his son Mahendra and daughter Sanghamitra to Sri Lanka to propagate Buddhism. Ashoka built eighty-four thousand stupas in three years and he also built pillars in many places in India.
These pillars became most famous due to their distinctive sculpture. In fact, the pillar of Sarnath was a memorial to the incident of Dharmachakra enforcement and was established to maintain the intactness of Dharmasangha.
How was Ashok Stambh created?
The Ashoka Pillar at Sarnath was constructed from a nearly 45-foot-long sandstone block of Chunar. Its barrage is spherical except for the ground base, which becomes progressively thinner at the top. It has a larynx above the lash and apex above the larynx. Underneath the throat is the inverted lotus with pendulous parties. The circular larynx is divided into four parts.
Live replicas of elephant, horse, bull and lion have emerged in them respectively. The top of the throat has four lion sculptures attached to each other from the back. In the middle of these four was a small dandha bearing a 32-tiled dharmachakra, which symbolized the 32 great signs of Lord Buddha.
This pillar is amazing in terms of its sculpture and polish. At this time the lower part of the pillar is in its original place. Only a few pieces of Dharmachakra were available.
How many Lions in Ashok Stambh
In the emblem of the nation which was adopted by the Government of India on 26 January 1950 only three lions appear and the fourth is hidden, not visible. The chakra appears in the center, the bull on the right and the horse on the left and the outer line of the other chakra on the right and left ends. If a bell-shaped lotus is left, then in this way there are four lions in the Ashoka Stambh in English.
Importance Of Ashok Stambh Lions
In Buddhism, the lion is considered synonymous with the Buddha. Synonyms of the Buddha include Shakyasimha and Narasimha. We find this in Pali stories. For this reason, the Dhammachakkappavattana (Dhammacakkappavattana) Sutta preached by the Buddha has been called the singha ghargana of the Buddha.
These roaring lions are visible as Dhamma Chakkappavattan. After the Buddha attained enlightenment, the monks went in all four directions and ordered Bahujan Hitaya Bahujan Sukhaya for public welfare in Isipatan (Mrigadava), which is today known as Sarnath.
Therefore, here, Chakravarti Ashok Mahan, the grandson of the third emperor Chandragupta Maurya of the Mauryan period, built a roaring lion roaring lions in the four directions of the pillar. It is currently known as Ashoka Pillar.
Where is Ashok Stambh In India
As we have told you that Emperor Ashoka built pillars for the propagation of Buddhism in different parts of India and engraved Buddha’s teachings as inscriptions on these pillars. Here we are going to tell you about some of the main pillars made by Ashok the Great.
1. Ashoka Pillar Sarnath Architecture
A pillar of Emperor Ashoka is located in Sarnath. Which was built by Ashoka the Great in 250 BC. The pillar of Sarnath is known as Ashoka Pillar. Four lions sit on the top of the pillar at Sarnath and all have their backs adjacent to each other.
India has adopted Sarnath’s Ashoka Pillar as a national symbol. In addition, the chakra at the bottom of the Ashoka Pillar is placed in the central part of the Indian tricolor.
For your information, let us know that the Ashoka Pillar in Sarnath is kept in the Sarnath Museum. Three articles have been written on the Ashoka Pillar, the first of which is of Ashoka’s time and written in Brahmi script.
While the second article is from the Kushan period and the third article is from the Gupta period.
2. Ashoka Stambh Allahabad
This pillar is located outside the Allahabad Fort. It was built in the 16th century by Emperor Akbar. The exterior of the Ashoka Pillar has inscriptions of Ashoka written in Brahmi script.
Samudragupta Ashoka Stambh was brought from Kaushambi to Prayag in 200 AD and the Prayag-Prasasti composed by his court poet Harishan was carved on it.
After this, the story of the Mughal emperor Jahangir sitting on the throne in 1605 AD is also engraved on the Ashoka Pillar in Allahabad. The pillar is believed to have been demolished in 1800, but in 1838 the British erected it again.
3. Ashoka Stambh Vaishali
This pillar is located in Vaishali, Bihar state. Emperor Ashoka is believed to have become a follower of Buddhism after Kalinga Vijay and erected an Ashoka Pillar at Vaishali. Since Lord Buddha gave his last sermon at Vaishali, this pillar was built in memory of him.
The Ashoka pillar at Vaishali is quite different from the other pillars. At the top of the pillar is a flawed figure of a lion whose mouth is in the north direction. It is believed to be the direction of the last journey of Lord Buddha.
Next to the pillar is a brick stupa and a pond, known as Ramkund. It is a sacred place for Buddhists.
4. Ashoka Stambh Delhi
The pillar built by Emperor Ashoka is located in Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi. This Ashoka Pillar of Delhi was built by the great Emperor Ashoka in the Indian subcontinent in three centuries BC.
This pillar is 13.1 meters high and made of polished sandstone. It was built by Ashoka in the third century BC.
It is believed that earlier this pillar was located in Meerut but when Feroz Shah Tughlaq came to Meerut around 1364, he was fascinated by the beauty of this pillar.
After this, he took this Ashoka Pillar in Meerut to Delhi and got it installed in his fort.
5. Ashok Pillar, Sanchi
This pillar is located in Sanchi, Madhya Pradesh. This pillar was built in the third century and its structure is influenced by the Greco Buddhist style.
As a relic of the ancient history of Sanchi, this pillar is still strong today and despite being centuries old, it looks newly constructed. It is also very similar to the Sarnath pillar. Four lions are seated at the top of the Ashoka Pillar in Sanchi.
Apart from this, Ashoka’s pillars are also located in Nigali Sagar and Rummindei, Lumbini Nepal, Rampurwa and Lauria Nandangarh, Champaran Bihar, Lauria Araraj, Champaran Bihar and Amravati.