India | 1971 | 50 Paise | Coat of arms

 India






The National Emblem of India is adapted from the Lion Capital of Ashoka at Sarnath, a sandstone sculpture featuring four Asiatic lions standing back to back on a circular abacus, symbolizing power, courage, pride, and confidence. The original abacus bears reliefs of a lion, bull, horse, and elephant separated by Dharma Chakras, resting on a lotus and crowned by the Wheel of the Law.

Adopted in 1950, the modern emblem designed by Madhav Sawhney shows three visible lions, with the fourth hidden from view. The abacus displays a central Dharma Chakra flanked by a bull and a horse, while the lotus base is omitted. Below it appears the motto “Satyameva Jayate” (“Truth Alone Triumphs”), taken from the Mundaka Upanishad.

Erected by Emperor Ashoka to commemorate the Buddha’s first sermon and the founding of the Buddhist Sangha, the emblem was officially adopted on 26 January 1950, when India became a republic. It appears on government documents, currency, passports, and the Ashoka Chakra forms the centerpiece of the Indian national flag. Its use is legally regulated under the State Emblem of India (Prohibition of Improper Use) Act, 2005.


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