The Ashok chakra also know as the Dharma Chakra is the most famous symbol of India. It is a statue of four lions facing four directions on top of a small cylindrical base which has figures of four different animals separated by small wheels of 32 spokes. This monument was originally placed by King Ashoka on top of the Ashokan pillar in Sarnath during his reign. It became the symbol of India much later in the 1950's. Many different versions have been adopted to incorporate the Indian chakra of 24 spokes above the heads of the Asiatic lions to give it a more patriotic feel. The Dharma chakra was made from the Buddhist ideologies during the Mauryan reign. Thus, the four majestic lions symbolise that the kingdom had greatly extended in all four directions. It also symbolises the four great truths of Buddhism which state that sorrow is inevitable, the cause of this sorrow is attachment and cravings, the sorrow can only be overcome by completely renouncing all desires and attachments and the path to attainment of salvation is only through renouncement and non-violence which is the Middle Path according to Buddhism. The four animals -bull, lion, elephant and horse running in the cylinder below the lions are also symbols of Buddhism.

Its interesting how we ended up getting the 24 spokes for the wheel in the Indian flag. The Ashok chakra, after the fall of the Mauryan dynasty, went missing, to be rediscovered much later by some archeologists. However, when it was found, the small wheels between the four animals was greatly damaged. Originally having 32 spokes, due to the damage was mistakenly taken as 24 and believed to be the 24 hours of the day. India carries forward the grandeur of the pillar with four lions created by Ashoka as it's National Emblem continuously telling the world that we are the leaders of the North East West and South, being the most humane in nature and the Ashoka Chakra being an integral part of the national flag.