Ashoka Pillar

The Ashoka Pillar, the national emblem of India, is one of the major attractions at Sarnath, Uttar Pradesh. The 50 m high Ashoka Pillar, carved out of stone, was built to mark the visit of Emperor Ashoka to Sarnath.

The pillar depicts four lions on the top, standing back to back and a wheel, the Ashoka Chakra, on the platform beneath the lions. The pillar also depicts a bull, a lion, an elephant and a horse which symbolise four different phases of the life of Gautama Buddha.