Dhammacakka Day 2022- National Emblem of India

National Emblem of India- Relevance for UPSC Exam

• GS Paper 1: Indian History- Indian culture will cover the salient aspects of Art Forms, Literature and Architecture from ancient to modern times.

 

Dhammacakka Day 2022 in News

• Recently, the President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind addressed the Dhammacakka Day 2022 celebrations at Sarnath, Uttar Pradesh today through a video message.

 

Dhammacakka Day 2022

• About: Dhammacakka Day 2022 commemorates Buddha’s First Sermon or the First Turning of the Wheel of Dhamma.
  • On this day, he taught the Dhammacakka-pavattana Sutta (Pali) or Dharmacakra pravartana Sutra (Sanskrit).
• Organizing Ministry: The Ministry of Culture in association with the International Buddhist Confederation is celebrating the Āshaḍha Pūrṇima Divas, as part of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav.
• Significance: Dhammacakka Day 2022 (Ashadha Purnima) is the second most important sacred day of observance for Buddhists after Vaishakha Buddha Purnima.

 

 

National Emblem of India

• About: National Emblem of India is an adaptation from the Sarnath Lion Capital of Ashoka. Ashokan Pillar of Sarnath is located at Sarnath near Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh.
• Key Features: In the original, 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).
  • Two-dimensional picture of Sarnath Pillar is the Official symbol of Government of India.
  • National Emblem shows only three of Four Lions, symbolizing Power, Courage and Confidence.
  • Base of the State Emblem have Dharma Chakra in the centre and bull and a horse on either side of it.
  • Satyameva Jayate is written on it in Devanagari script which itself traces its origin to the Mudraka Upanishad
• Importance of Sarnath: It is one of the four main places in Buddhism –
  • Bodh Gaya: Buddha attained enlightenment;
  • Sarnath: Buddha gave his first sermon;
  • Shravasti: Buddha spent most Chaturmases and gave most of the sermons; and
  • Kushinagar: Buddha attained the Mahaparinirvana.

Mahaparinirvana Temple