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Pillars of Ashoka
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The pillars of Ashoka are a series of monolithic columns dispersed throughout the Indian subcontinent, erected—or at least inscribed with edicts—by the 3rd Mauryan Emperor Ashoka the Great, who reigne
One of the Pillars of Ashoka, in Vaishali
One of the Pillars of Ashoka, in Vaishali
Lion Capital of Ashoka from Sarnath, with Wheel of the Moral Law (reconstitution). 3rd century BC.
Lion Capital of Ashoka from Sarnath, with Wheel of the Moral Law (reconstitution). 3rd century BC.
Heliodorus pillar in Vidisha, India, 2nd Century BC
Heliodorus pillar in Vidisha, India, 2nd Century BC
Shunga horseman carrying portable garuda standard, Bharhut 2nd Century BC
Shunga horseman carrying portable garuda standard, Bharhut 2nd Century BC
Lion Capital of Ashoka
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The Lion Capital of Ashoka is the capital, or head, of a column erected by the Mauryan emperor Ashoka in Sarnath, India, c. 250 BCE. Its crowning features are four life-sized lions set back to back on
Pillars of Ashoka
…architectural constructions, and that stone may have been adopted following interaction with the Persians and the Greeks. A graphic representation of the Lion Capital of Ashoka from the column there was adopted as the official State Emblem of India in 1950. All the pillars of Ashoka were built at Buddhist monasteries, many…
Four Asiatic lions stand back to back on a circular abacus. The Buddhist wheel of the moral law appears in relief below each lion. Between the chakras
Four Asiatic lions stand back to back on a circular abacus. The Buddhist wheel of the moral law appears in relief below each lion. Between the chakras appear four animals in profile—horse, bull, elephant, and lion. The architectural bell below the abacus is a stylized upside-down lotus.
The Dhamek Stupa in Sarnath, a watercolour by Abdullah, Shaikh, January 1814 (sketch); 1819 (colour)
The Dhamek Stupa in Sarnath, a watercolour by Abdullah, Shaikh, January 1814 (sketch); 1819 (colour)
The excavation site two years later
The excavation site two years later
Capital in Sahni's Catalogue, 1914
Capital in Sahni's Catalogue, 1914