THE STATE EMBLEM OF INDIA, AS THE NATIONAL EMBLEM OF THE REPUBLIC OF INDIA IS CALLED , IS AN ADAPTATION OF

THE LION CAPITAL OF ASHOKA FROM 250 BCE AT SARNATH, PRESERVED IN THE SARNATH
MUSEUM NEAR VARANASI .I T HAS 4 LIONS THAT FACE 4 DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS, NAMELY NORTH, EAST, SOUTH, AND
WEST. A REPRESENTATION OF THE LION CAPITAL OF ASHOKA WAS INITIALLY ADOPTED AS THE EMBLEM OF
THE DOMINION OF INDIA IN DECEMBER 1947.[1] THE CURRENT VERSION OF THE EMBLEM WAS OFFICIALLY ADOPTED ON
26 JANUARY 1950, THE DAY WHEN INDIA BECAME A REPUBLIC. THE TASK OF BEAUTIFYING THE ORIGINAL COPY OF
THE CONSTITUTION OF INDIA WAS GIVEN TO NANDALAL BOSE ( THEN THE PRINCIPAL OF K ALA BHAVAN SHANTI
NIKETAN IN SHANTI NIKETAN) BY THE CONGRESS. BOSE SET OUT TO COMPLETE THIS TASK WITH THE HELP OF HIS
STUDENTS, ONE OF WHOM WAS DINANATH BHARGAVA, THEN 21 YEARS OLD.[5] BOSE WAS KEEN TO INCLUDE THE LION
CAPITAL OF ASHOKA INTO THE OPENING PAGES OF THE CONSTITUTION . WANTING THE LIONS TO BE DEPICTED
REALISTICALLY , HE CHOSE BHARGAVA WHO STUDIED THE BEHAVIOUR OF THE LIONS AT THE K OLKATA ZOO. ON 26
JANUARY 1950, IT WAS ADOPTED AS THE STATE EMBLEM OF INDIA. THE EMBLEM FORMS A PART OF THE OFFICIAL
LETTERHEAD OF THE GOVERNMENT OF INDIA AND APPEARS ON ALL INDIAN CURRENCY AS WELL. I T ALSO FUNCTIONS AS
THE NATIONAL EMBLEM OF INDIA IN MANY PLACES AND APPEARS PROMINENTLY ON INDIAN PASSPORTS. THE ASHOKA
CHAKRA ( WHEEL) ON ITS BASE FEATURES IN THE CENTRE OF THE NATIONAL FLAG OF INDIA.THE USAGE OF THE EMBLEM
IS REGULATED AND RESTRICTED UNDER STATE EMBLEM OF INDIA (PROHIBITION OF I MPROPER USE) ACT, 2005 UNDER
WHICH, NO INDIVIDUAL OR PRIVATE ORGANISATION IS PERMITTED TO USE THE EMBLEM FOR OFFICIAL
CORRESPONDENCE.THE ACTUAL SARNATH CAPITAL FEATURES FOUR ASIATIC LIONS STANDING BACK TO BACK,
SYMBOLISING POWER, COURAGE, CONFIDENCE , AND PRIDE, MOUNTED ON A CIRCULAR BASE. AT THE BOTTOM IS A
HORSE AND A BULL, AND AT ITS CENTRE IS A WHEEL (DHARMA CHAKRA). THE ABACUS IS GIRDED WITH A FRIEZE OF
SCULPTURES IN HIGH RELIEF OF THE LION OF THE NORTH, THE HORSE OF THE WEST, THE BULL OF THE SOUTH AND THE
ELEPHANT OF THE EAST, SEPARATED BY INTERVENING WHEELS, OVER A LOTUS IN FULL BLOOM, EXEMPLIFYING THE
FOUNTAINHEAD OF LIFE AND CREATIVE INSPIRATION . CARVED FROM A SINGLE BLOCK OF SANDSTONE, THE POLISHED
CAPITAL IS CROWNED BY THE WHEEL OF THE LAW (DHARMA CHAKRA).IN THE EMBLEM FINALLY ADOPTED , ONLY THREE
LIONS ARE VISIBLE, THE FOURTH BEING HIDDEN FROM VIEW.
THE WHEEL APPEARS IN RELIEF IN THE CENTRE OF THE ABACUS, WITH A BULL ON THE RIGHT AND A GALLOPING HORSE ON THE LEFT, AND
OUTLINES OF DHARMA CHAKRAS ON THE EXTREME RIGHT AND LEFT. A HORSE AND A BULL ARE REPRESENTED RIGHT BELOW THE ABACUS.
THE BULL REPRESENTS HARD WORK AND STEADFASTNESS, WHILE THE HORSE REPRESENTS LOYALTY, SPEED, AND ENERGY. THE BELL-SHAPED
LOTUS BENEATH THE ABACUS HAS BEEN OMITTED.FORMING AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE EMBLEM IS THE MOTTO INSCRIBED BELOW THE
ABACUS IN DEVANAGARI SCRIPT: SATYAMEVA JAYATE (SANSKRIT: सत्यमे व जयते; LIT. "TRUTH ALONE TRIUMPHS"). THIS IS A QUOTE
FROM MUNDAKA UPANISHAD,THE CONCLUDING PART OF THE SACRED HINDU VEDAS.MOST OF THE STATES AND UNION TERRITORIES OF
INDIA HAVE THEIR OWN STATE EMBLEM, SEAL OR COAT OF ARMS WHICH ARE USED AS AN OFFICIAL GOVERNMENTAL SYMBOL, WHILE SIX
STATES AND FIVE UNION TERRITORIES USE THE NATIONAL EMBLEM OF INDIA WITH A TEXT LEGEND AS THEIR OFFICIAL GOVERNMENTAL
SEAL.SOME OF THE AUTONOMOUS DISTRICT COUNCILS ESTABLISHED BY THE SIXTH SCHEDULE OF THE CONSTITUTION OF INDIA HAVE ALSO
ADOPTED AN OFFICIAL EMBLEM.

G. Yashwanth
PIN:20026-M-034