A simmering dispute about “aggressive” lions in the Ashok Stambh, which Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated, caused artist Sunil Deore, who was tasked with creating the National Emblem that would be displayed atop the new Parliament building, to rule out any modification. According to Deore, one of the two artists who created the monument, the lions’ emotions appear different from the original Sarnath building, from which the National Emblem was adopted back in 1950, because of the alteration in perception brought on by the angle of view, sources stated.
The Sarnath “Lion Capital” will resemble the Parliament emblem if you view it from below, according to Deore.
Tata Project Limited, the organisation in charge of constructing the new Parliament house, which is expected to be finished by the end of this year, awarded the 49-year-old artist the contract. There is no other reason why they appear different; only their size and dimensions, according to Deore.
The “Lion Capital” at Sarnath, which Ashoka constructed back in the third century BCE, served as the model for the nation’s emblem. After India gained its independence, Nandal Bose from Shantiniketan’s Visva-Bharati University in Bengal was tasked with creating the country’s national anthem. Only three lions are depicted in the National Emblem’s 2D rendition as opposed to four in the Lion Capital. On the first page of the handwritten Constitution, he chose Dinanath Bhargava, 21, to create a 3D depiction of the same.
The Narendra Modi administration has come under fire from a number of opposition leaders and activists for allegedly altering the National Emblem to make it appear more “aggressive and muscular” as opposed to “graceful and regally confident” Ashokan lions.
