Navratri, the Festival of Nine
Nights, is celebrated in honor of goddesses Durga, Lakshmi, and
Saraswati. The festival is celebrated for nine nights every year
in the Hindu month of Ashvin (September-October) although as the
dates of the festival .........
Contd.
|
The National Emblem of India
The State Emblem of India is
in adaptation from the Sarnath Lion, capital of Ashoka the Emperor as
preserved in the Sarnath Museum. The government adopted the emblem on 26th
January, 1950, the day when India became republic.
In the original Sarnath capital, there are four lions, standing back
to back, mounted on an abacus with a frieze carrying sculptures 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 the Wheel of the Law (Dharma
Chakra). In the state emblem adopted by the government of India, only three
Lions are visible, the fourth being hidden from view. The wheel appears in
relief in the center of the abacus with a bull on the right and a horse on
the 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 Devanagari script.
The emblem forms a part of the official letterhead of the Government
of India, and appears on all Indian currency as well. It also sometimes
functions as the national emblem of India in many places and appears
prominently on the diplomatic and national Passport of the Republic of
India.
Back to National Symbol's Page
|
|