State Emblem of India atop of the New Parliament building

Subject: History

Section: Art and Culture

Context

The government may install the state emblem on the top of the under construction New Parliament building.

New Parliament building

The government has set the ambitious October 2022 deadline for completion of the massive project with the aim to hold the next winter session of parliament in the new building.
The emblem will be more than 20 feet tall.
The state emblem is an adaptation from the Sarnath Lion capital of Ashoka.
The new Parliament building with a built-up area of approximately 60,000 metre square, is set to come up on plot number 118 of the Parliament House Estate, which currently houses a reception, boundary walls and other temporary structures.
The central foyer has been renamed the Constitution Hall as it is expected to display the Constitution for public viewing. A library will also come up near the central foyer.
It will have sculptures of parliamentarians and images representing the diversity of India. At one side of the Constitution Hall will be the Constitution gallery, where the Constitution will be displayed.
The triangular complex is designed to include 120 offices with six separate entrances for MPs and VIPs, including the Speaker and the vice president.

State emblem of India

The national emblem is an adaptation of the Lion Capital, originally found atop the Ashoka Column at Sarnath, established in 250 BC.
The capital has four Asiatic lions—symbolising power, courage, pride and confidence—seated on a circular abacus.
The abacus has sculptures of a bull, a horse, a lion and an elephant.
In the national emblem, three lions are visible; the abacus shows a bull and horse separated by a dharma chakra; the outlines of two more dharma chakras are visible on either side of the abacus.
While Buddhist interpretations say the animals represent different phases of the Buddha’s life, non-religious interpretations say they depict the reign of emperor Ashoka in the four geographical directions, while the wheels depict his enlightened rule.
The capital was adopted as the national emblem on January 26, 1950. It was chosen as a symbol of contemporary India’s reaffirmation of its ancient commitment to world peace and goodwill.