National Emblem

In News

  • Prime Minister unveiled the National Emblem cast on the roof of the new Parliament building. 

National Emblem of India 

  • An Ashokan pillar at Sarnath near Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh depicts four lions on the top standing back to back. 
  • Its base has an elephant, a horse, a bull and a lion separated by intervening wheels over a bell-shaped lotus and a Dharma Chakra or the Wheel of Law carved on it. 
  • This symbol was adopted as the National Emblem of India by the Indian Government on 26th January 1950
  • The two-dimensional picture of this emblem has become the official symbol of the government now that only shows three of the four lions and the base having the Dharma Chakra in the center and a bull and horse on either side and an engraved phrase that reads ‘Satyameva Jayate’ in the Devanagari script. 
    • The words ‘Satyameva Jayate’ taken from Mundaka Upanishad.
  • The three lions visible in the emblem symbolize power, courage and confidence.

Architectural style of New Parliament Building

  • The building is coming up adjacent to the existing Parliament complex, and is of almost the same size. 
  • The building is designed to be earthquake-resistant
  • Unlike the present Parliament building, there is no Central Hall, and the Lok Sabha chamber will be able to house 1,272 members in case of a joint session. 
  • The building will have an open-sky area of 2,000 sq metre for a banyan tree. 
  • The existing building was designed by Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker who were responsible for the planning and construction of New Delhi.

 

Source: TH