NATIONAL EMBLEM
The Emblem of the Indian State is an adaptation from
the Sarnath (Varanasi) Lion Capital of Ashoka the great. It was adopted
by the Government of India on 26
January, 1950.
In the original, there are four lions standing back to back,
mounted on an abacus with a frieze carrying sculpture in high relief of an
elephant, a galloping horse, a bull and a lion separated by intervening wheels
over a bell shaped lotus. Carved out of a single block of polished sandstone,
the capital is crowned by a Wheel of the law ( DHARMA CHAKRA).
In the State Emblem, 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 horse on left and the outlines of other
wheels on extreme right and left. The bell shaped lotus has been omitted. The words “ SAtyameva Jayate” from “Mundaka
Upanishad” meaning “TRUTH ALONE TRIUMPHS” are inscribed below the abacus in the DEVANAGARI
script.
