The Lion Capital of Ashoka is the chapiter or the topmost portion of the Ashoka pillar. It is a polished sandstone carving featuring four lions set back to back on an abacus. The abacus is decorated with wheels ad well as a lion, an elephant, a bull, and a horse. Below is a bell-shaped lotus.
The Lion Capital of Ashoka was built in Sarnath, India after Emperor Ashoka’s conversion to Buddhism in 250 BCE to commemorate the first sermon of Gautama Buddha that happened there some two centuries prior.
Emperor Ashoka
Emperor Ashoka who was also called Ashoka the Great wss the third Mauryan Emperor that reigned during 268 to 232 BCE. He was an advocate of Buddhism and played a vital role in spreading the religion across Ancient Asia. Before Buddhism, Ashoka was known to be violent and cruel. It is believed that the emperor conquered Kalinga in a war that took over a hundred thousand lives. Horrified to his conquest, Ashoka turned to Buddhism and ruled in peace since then.
The Lion Capital of Ashoka on Banknotes
Adopted as India’s national symbol, the Lion Capital of Ashoka has been shown on the country’s banknotes since its independence from the United Kingdom. The obverse of the India 1 Rupee Banknote in 1981 features a 1-rupee coin that displays the lion capital of the Ashoka pillar. The banknote’s reverse features the back of a 1-rupee coin dated 1981, the Sagar Samrat oil exploration platform, and a language panel.
The sandstone carving can also be seen on the obverse of India 5 Rupee banknote issued from 1975-2002, along with the Reserve Bank of India seal and a language panel. The note’s reverse is designed with a farmer plowing a field with a modern tractor. The note’s watermark also reveals the lion capital of Ashoka pillar and an ornate wheel.
The current 2000 Indian rupee banknote which was announced to be removed from circulation, also depicts the lion capital of Ashoka pillar alongside Mahatma Gandhi’s portrait, the Reserve Bank of India’s seal, a language panel, the Swachh Bharat logo, and the Mars Orbiter Mission space probe.
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