(Redirected from Lion Capital of Ashoka)
The 'Lion Capital of
Ashoka' is a sculpture of four lions standing back to back. It was originally placed atop the
Aśoka pillar at
Sarnath, now in the state of
Uttar Pradesh,
India. The pillar, sometimes called the Aśoka Column is still in its original location, but the Lion Capital is now in the
Sarnath Museum. The Lion Capital is the
national emblem of India.
The
capital contains four
lions, standing back to back, mounted on an
abacus, with a
frieze carrying sculptures in high
relief of an
elephant, a galloping
horse, a
bull, and a lion, separated by intervening spoked chariot-wheels over a bell-shaped
lotus. Carved out of a single block of polished
sandstone, the capital was believed to be crowned by a 'Wheel of
Dharma' (''
Dharmachakra''), which has now been lost.
External link
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National emblem of India
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National symbols of India