Sarnath Lion Capital
Lion Capital, Sarnath
◇ The Lion Capital discovered more than a hundred years ago at Sarnath, near Varanasi, is generally referred as Sarnath Lion Capital.
◇ It is one of the finest examples of sculpture from Mauryan period and was built by Ashoka in commemoration of ‘Dhammachakrapravartana’ or the first sermon of Buddha.
□ Originally it consists of five components:
◇ The pillar shaft.
◇ The lotus bell or base.
◇ A drum on the bell base with four animals proceeding clockwise (abacus).
◇ Figure of four majestic addorsed (back to back) lions
◇ The crowning element, Dharamchakra/Dharmachakra.
◇ Dharamchakra (the fifth component said above), a large wheel was also a part of this pillar. However, this wheel is lying in broken condition and is displayed in the site museum of Sarnath.