The national emblem of India acts as the official seal of the country and is used on all official occasions where the Indian government is represented.The state emblem of India is the Lion Capital of Ashoka. The Lion Capital is originally a sculpture placed on the top of the Ashoka Pillar, constructed by Emperor Ashoka of the Mauryan Empire between 268-32 BC.The Lion Capital consists of four lions, standing back-to-back, depicting pride, power, courage, and confidence. After India gained independence from British rule in 1947, the Lion Capital of Ashoka was adopted as the national emblem.Its two-dimensional graphic representation closed in a rectangular box with the national motto ‘Satyameva Jayate’ at the bottom showcases three lions. On India’s first Republic Day, January 26, 1950, this graphic adaptation of the Lion Capital of Ashoka was declared as the national emblem of India. It is proudly placed on the Indian currency, Indian passports, and the Constitution of India and serves as the official letterhead of the Government of India.Read on for some interesting facts about the national symbols of India.What are the seven national symbols of India?The national symbols of India represent the Indian culture and heritage. National symbols are the core elements that form the identity of a nation.The seven national symbols of India are the national flag, the national anthem, the national song, the national emblem, the national animal, the national bird, and the national flower.The Indian national flag has three horizontal stripes of colors: saffron is located towards the top, the middle stripe is white in color, and the bottom stripe is of green color. The Ashoka Chakra in navy blue color with 24 spokes is present in the middle of the white stripe. On July 22, 1947, the national flag was officially adopted by the Constituent Assembly of India.The national song of India is Vande Mataram. It was composed in Sanskrit by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee, a famous poet and novelist of India during the independence struggle.The status of the national anthem of India has been assigned to a composition of renowned poet and author Rabindranath Tagore. The Indian national anthem, i.e., Jana-Gana-Mana, was originally composed in Bengali, and the Hindi version was taken up as the national anthem of India on January 24, 1950.The national emblem of India is the Lion Capital of Ashoka that features four lions standing back-to-back on top of a circular base that comprises the Dharma Chakra.The royal Bengal tiger was named the national animal of India in 1973 after Project Tiger was launched nationwide by the Indian Government to save the drastically reducing tiger population in India. The elephant is the national heritage animal of India.The Indian peacock and lotus have great mythological and cultural significance in India and thus take the spots of the national bird and national flower of India, respectively.How many animals are there in the Indian national emblem?The Indian national emblem features four types of animals: the lion, the horse, the elephant, and the bull. There are four lions and a single horse, elephant, and bull.The lions represent India’s power and courage to fight through British oppression for over a hundred years and emerge as a strong independent nation.The bull depicts the hard work of the common people to maintain India as a diverse and growing country and the Indian National Congress’s hard work to achieve independence for India politically.The elephant represents strength and knowledge. The struggles of the Indian people through a century of British rule, enabling the country to become a strong nation with a solid framework.The horse shows the loyalty of the people towards their nation and the speed of the national movement’s success in getting rid of the British rule from India.Features Of The National Emblem Of IndiaThe national emblem of India is a pretty historic and beautiful one, with many detailed features and facts. From its source of inspiration at Sarnath to its depiction, everything about it has meaning to it.It is a three-dimensional structure placed on top of the Ashoka pillar, which features four Asiatic lions that stand back-to-back. But the national emblem, when placed on official government items like the Indian passport, constitution, and currency, is two dimensional. Hence only three lions are visible on the Lion Capital as the state emblem, and the fourth one is not visible.The original Lion Capital also has a bell-shaped lotus supporting its base. But this lotus is not a part of the national emblem.The Dharma Chakra, with 24 spokes in its center, is also present on the national emblem of India. Each spoke symbolizes a principle of life and an hour of the day. It defines the dignity of the nation and depicts progression, a constant reminder to prevent stagnation of growth in the country. The Dharma Chakra, also known as the Ashoka Chakra, is also present on the national flag of India.Along the abacus, a horse, a bull, and an elephant are carved. The bull represents hard work, the horse represents energy, and the elephant represents strength; In a sense, these animals are meant to depict the spirit of sovereign India as a nation.When was the national emblem of India adopted?India decided upon the Lion Capital of Ashoka as the national emblem of the country soon after attaining Independence from British rule on August 15, 1947.But it was officially assigned the official state emblem of India on January 26, 1950, which is celebrated as the first Republic Day of India.Nandalal Bose, considered a master of modern Indian art, was given the responsibility of decorating the original manuscript of the Indian Constitution by the Indian National Congress. He was tasked with formally beautifying the words in the Constitution with official state symbols before the first Republic Day when the Constitution of India would officially come into existence.His students from Shanti Niketan, the ashram established by Rabindranath Tagore, helped him in this huge task. Among these students was Dinanath Bhargava. He was so dedicated to making the lions in the state emblem look realistic that he actually studied the behavior of live wild cats at the Kolkata Zoo!The actual Ashoka pillar and the Lion Capital are located in Sarnath. Bhargava sketched the Sarnath Lion Capital intricately as the national emblem for the Constitution of India. He also placed the national motto ‘Satyameva Jayate,’ which means truth alone triumphs, in the Devanagari script at the bottom of the emblem.Hence, the national emblem of India came into official existence on January 26, 1950, along with the Constitution of India. It can be seen on the opening pages of the Indian Constitution.Name Of Indian National EmblemThe Indian national emblem is named Lion Capital of Ashoka.Representing the Lion Capital sculpture built by Emperor Ashoka about 2,200 years ago, it signifies the power and strength of India after gaining Independence from the British and becoming a sovereign country of its own.Lions have always been known for their independence, courage, and pride. The Lion Capital as the national emblem features Asiatic lions standing back-to-back. The Asiatic lions are indigenous to central India, found in the Gir National Park in Gujarat.Therefore, the official emblem of India not only represents the country’s strong independent spirit but also celebrates India’s diversity and authenticity. Below the lions, on the circular abacus base, the ‘Wheel of Law’ or ‘Dharma Chakra’ is carved. The Dharma Chakra holds great importance in Indian religions like Buddhism, Jainism, and Hinduism.Its shape is that of a circular wheel with 24 spokes inside. The 24 spokes represent the 24 religious paths laid down by Ashoka and also the 24 hours of the day. The Dharma Chakra’s association with time and law makes it an accurate representation of India’s ever-progressing economy and motivation for development.So, the Lion Capital of Ashoka, as the state emblem of India, also represents growth and justice. The emblem of the Supreme Court of India comprises the national emblem with the Wheel of Law surmounted on top of it.How many lions are there in the national emblem of India?The Indian national emblem features four lions representing power, courage, confidence, and pride. These lions are specifically Asiatic lions, which can only be found in India, in the state of Gujarat.Although the state emblem of India consists of four Asiatic lions, it is widely believed that there are only three lions in the emblem. But this is not true.The Lion Capital of Ashoka as the national emblem is an adaptation of the sculpture of the Lion Capital placed above the Ashoka pillar in Sarnath. The Sarnath Lion Capital is a sculpture and is hence three-dimensional. It features four Asiatic lions standing back-to-back on top of it.But the national emblem, when placed on official government items like the Indian passport, constitution, and currency, is two dimensional. As a result, just three lions are visible on the National Emblem, while the fourth one is not visible.Thus, it is not true that there are only three lions on the national emblem; the fourth one is intended to be present but remains out of sight upon drawing or printing.
The national emblem of India acts as the official seal of the country and is used on all official occasions where the Indian government is represented.
