National emblem controversy, Sarnath, and lions in South India

To completely change the character and nature of the lions on Ashoka’s pillar at Sarnath is nothing but a brazen insult to India’s National Symbol! pic.twitter.com/JJurRmPN6O

— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) July 12, 2022

Meanwhile, AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi criticised the unveiling, claiming it violated constitutional norms.

Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, who was with Prime Minister Modi during the unveiling of the national emblem, however, tweeted that it was a matter of perspective and added: “If the Sarnath emblem was to be scaled up or the emblem on the new Parliament building is reduced to that size there would not be any difference.”

If an exact replica of the original were to be placed on the new building, it would barely be visible beyond the peripheral rail.

The ‘experts’ should also know that the original placed in Sarnath is at ground level while the new emblem is at a height of 33 mtrs from ground. pic.twitter.com/JLxMMMAq80

— Hardeep Singh Puri (@HardeepSPuri) July 12, 2022

Does size matter?

Art historian Srinivas Sistla from Andhra University, Visakhapatnam, agreed with those criticising the sculpture and told South First that the emblem atop the new Parliament building is “definitely distorted”. “The new emblem is not a true replica of the Sarnath capital lion and is disproportionate. Just take a look at the mane. In the Sarnath pillar capital, it is so beautifully moulded,” he said.

However, Kulkarni noted that the sculpture’s appearance would also be modified by the artist according to the size. “Take the Gomateswhara in Shravanabelagola, which is 50+ feet tall. If you compare its anatomy and the aesthetic value with a smaller sculpture carved in limestone or soapstone of the Hoysala period, there will be a stark difference. The smaller sculpture will always look much more beautiful and sophisticated,” Kulkarni added.

Lions have always been part of Buddhist art, Kulkarni said. One of Gautama Buddha’s names is Sakyasimha, lion of the Sakya clan.

Sarnath, birthplace of Buddhism

Sarnath is one of the four places that the Buddha asked his disciples to visit. According to Buddhist tradition, Gautama, after his enlightenment, gave his initial sermon in Sarnath.

The Dhamekh Stupa, which has bricks from the Mauryan era, is believed to commemorate the place where he instructed his first five disciples.

Not far from the Dhamekh Stupa is the place where the lion pillar was originally located. Built in the 3rd century BCE, it has an edict of Mauryan emperor Ashoka.

The site currently has only a few fragments and the lion capital can be seen in the nearby Archaeological Survey of India’s site museum in Sarnath.

Near the fragments of the pillar is the Dharmarajika stupa, built by Ashoka to enshrine Buddha’s relics.

Art historian Sistla added that lions have also been part of the Jain (where it is associated with a Tirthankara) and Hindu traditions.

Lions in South India

In South India, we can see lions in sculptural form from at least the Kadamba period (around 300 CE). One of the earliest such sculptures, from Kodlu in Karnataka, is of a zoomorphic Narasimha (the Vishnu avatara), Kulkarni noted.

From the Early Chalukya period, lions are seen in many places including Badami’s Upper Sivalaya (Karnataka) and Alampur (Andhra Pradesh) (6th–7th centuries CE).

“Alampur has four lions sitting back to back, a very unique representation,” Sistla said. While it is seen in the Mauryan times and there are Gupta period copies, such a sculpture becomes rare later, the art historian pointed out.

Many of the Pallavas, who mostly ruled from Kanchipuram in South India, have simha (lion) in their names—Simhavishnu, Narasimhavarman, Rajasimha, et al. Lions thus were synonymous with the royal family.

In Pallava temples after Mahendravarman I (early 7th century CE), most of the pillars stand on lions.

For instance, rampant lions at the base of pillars are considered a signature of Rajasimha.

“When we go to Kanchipuram and look at the Kailasanatha temple (built by Rajasimha), there are more lions than even sculptures of deities,” Kulkarni quipped.

Incidentally, the Kanchipuram Kailasanatha (built around 700 CE) is regarded by many art historians as one of the most beautiful temples anywhere in India.

Later, during the period of the Vijayanagara dynasty (established in 14th century CE), lions in sculptural form in South India became ubiquitous. “There are umpteen numbers of lions sitting on their haunches in Vijayanagara monuments,” art historian Sistla said.