History of Ashoka Pillar

History of Ashoka Pillar

The Ashoka Pillar is actually a series of pillars found in North India.  As the name suggests, these pillars were built by Emperor Ashoka in the third century under his reign.  The height of each pillar is 40 to 50 feet and weights at least 50 tons.  These pillars were built in Chunar, a town near Varanasi and then dragged and brought to the place where it was erected.

Art was greatly encouraged by Ashoka's religious propaganda.  He used two scripts, Brahmi and Kharoshthi, for marking his scriptures and writing was widely disseminated throughout the country.  The unprecedented development of religious architecture and sculpture took place during the time of Ashoka.  According to tradition, he built 84,000 stupas in three years.  Of these, the ruins of the Dharmarajika Stupa built by him in Rishipatana (Sarnath) are still visible.

In the same way, he made numerous tales and viharas.  Ashoka established Dharmastambhas on major Rajpaths and routes in different parts of the country.  This pillar is most famous due to its sculpture.  The art of pillar-making had reached its zenith in the time of Ashoka for athletic planning, subtle proportions, balanced imagination, the success of a definite purpose, aesthetic highness and religious symbolism.  The use of these pillars was monumental rather then architectural.

The Ashoka Chakra built at the bottom of the pillar is adding glory to the national flag today.  In Buddhism, lion is synonymous with (Vishwaguru Tathagata) Buddha. ( Shakyasinh and Narasimha) are also in synonyms of Buddha, we find it in Pali saga.  For this reason, the Dhammachakkappavatana Sutta preached by the Buddha has been called Sinhagarnajna of Buddha.

These roaring lions are visible as Dhamma Chakkappavattan.  At the end of the rainy season, the Buddha went to all four directions and ordered the Bahujan Hitaya Bahujan Sukhaya for public welfare in Isipatan (Mrigadava), which is today known as Sarnath.  Therefore, here the third emperor of the Mauryasamrajya and Chakravarti Ashoka the great, grandson of Emperor Chandragupta Maurya, made lions roaring lions in all four directions.