The task of beautifying the original copy of the Constitution of India was given to Nandalal Bose by the Congress. Bose set out to complete this task with the help of his students, one of whom was Dinanath Bhargava, then 21 years old. Bose was keen to include the Lion Capital of Ashoka into the opening pages of the constitution. Wanting the lions to be depicted realistically, he chose Bhargava who studied the behavior of the lions at the Kolkata Zoo. On 26 January 1950, it was adopted as the State Emblem of India.
Usage and description
The emblem forms a part of the official letterhead of the Government of India and appears on all Indian currency as well. It also functions as the national emblem of India in many places and appears prominently on Indian passports. The Ashoka Chakra on its base features in the centre of the national flag of India. The usage of the emblem is regulated and restricted under State Emblem of India Act, 2005 under which, no individual or private organisation is permitted to use the emblem for official correspondence. The actual Sarnath capital features four Asiatic lions standing back to back, symbolising power, courage, confidence, and pride, mounted on a circular base. At the bottom is a horse and a bull, and at its center is a wheel. The abacus is girded with a frieze of sculptures in high relief of The Lion of the North, The Horse of the West, The Bull of the South and The Elephant of the East, separated by intervening wheels, over a lotus in full bloom, exemplifying the fountainhead of life and creative inspiration. Carved from a single block of sandstone, the polished capital is crowned by the Wheel of the Law. In the emblem finally adopted, only three lions are visible, the fourth being hidden from view. The wheel appears in relief in the centre of the abacus, with a bull on the right and a galloping horse on the left, and outlines of Dharma Chakras on the extreme right and left. A horse and a bull are represented right below the abacus. The bull represents hard work and steadfastness, while the horse represents loyalty, speed, and energy. The bell-shaped lotus beneath the abacus has been omitted. Forming an integral part of the emblem is the motto inscribed below the abacus in Devanagari script: Satyameva Jayate. This is a quote from Mundaka Upanishad, the concluding part of the sacred HinduVedas.
Most of the states and union territories of India have their own state emblem, seal or coat of arms which are used as an official governmental symbol, while six states and five union territories use the National Emblem of India with a text legend as their official governmental seal. Some of the autonomous district councils established by the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution of India have also adopted an official emblem.
