National emblem row: Digging history and significance of the Lion Capital

The National Emblem is one of the most visible symbols of national identity, used as the seal of the Republic. It was adopted from the Lion Capital of one of the Ashoka Pillars on January 26, 1950

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday unveiled India’s national emblem cast on the roof of the new Parliament building. Opposition political parties criticised the expression of the four lions of the national emblem, alleging the government has violated the Constitution.

The government justified the cast saying it was done after research and a well-laid procedure. What follows is a brief explanation of the National Emblem.

What is the National Emblem?

The National Emblem is one of the most visible symbols of national identity and it is used as the seal of the Republic. It was adopted from the Lion Capital of one of the Ashoka Pillars on January 26, 1950. The symbol was adopted along with the motto 'Satyamev Jayate, taken from the Mundaka Upanishad and meaning 'truth always wins'.

How is the emblem structured?

The emblem has four lions mounted back to back on a circular abacus, facing four different directions. They represent courage, pride, power and confidence.

A circular abacus on which the lions stand is adorned with the engravings of a bull, a horse, and an elephant. Along with the lions, it is believed that the animals represent the four stages of Gautam Buddha's life. Lions indicate the stage of achieving enlightenment.

The bull symbolises Taurus, the zodiac sign of Buddha. The elephant denotes his outset. The horse symbolises his ride after leaving the citadel where he gave his first sermon.

The animals are separated by Ashok Chakras or Dharmachakras. The above-mentioned structure rests on an inverted lotus, which was chosen as the National Flower of India. However, it is not a part of the Emblem.

When was the National Emblem designed?

The Lion Capital was erected in Sarnath 250 BC. Buddha gave his first sermon at Sarnath, Uttar Pradesh. It was excavated by Friedrich Oscar Oertel in 1905.

When was it adopted by India?

After independence in 1947, leaders were looking for a symbol that could be used as the national emblem. Badruddin Tyabji, a civil services officer and a freedom fighter, and his wife Surayya Tyabji proposed the usage of the Lion Capital for the same.

When the Constitution was being drafted, Dinanath Bhargava was selected to design the National Emblem. Under the mentorship of Nandalal Bose, who designed the illustrations in the document, Bhargava sketched the Emblem on the first page of the Constitution.

What is the political controversy around the new structure?

Opposition parties say the national emblem unveiled looks 'ferocious' with its exposed fangs and different from the original depiction. Indian National Congress (INC), India’s largest opposition party in Parliament, said that the inscription 'Satyamev Jayate'is missing from the new structure atop the Parliament building.

The government dismissed the criticism. "Sense of proportion & perspective. Beauty is famously regarded as lying in the eyes of the beholder. So is the case with calm & anger. The original #Sarnath #Emblem is 1.6 mtr high whereas the emblem on the top of the #NewParliamentBuilding is huge at 6.5 mtrs height," said Union minister Hardeep Puri on Twitter.

Sunil Deora, one of the two sculptors who designed the new statue, said that the perceived difference in the lions demeanour is due to the scale of the new structure, according to 'The Indian Express'.