Question

What does the circle of sarnath pillar depicts?

Answer 1

The Ashoka Lion Capital or the Ashoka Chakra at the Sarnath comprises of 4 lions, standing back to back. The front view has 3 Lions. All the 4 lions are mounted on a cylindrical abacus. The abacus illustrates the sculptures of a galloping horse, an elephant, a lion and a bull separated by intervening 24-spoked Dharma wheels over an inverted bell-shaped lotus flower (National Flower of India).The four animals in the Lion Capital symbolizes different times and phases in Buddha’s life. The Elephant is a representation of his mother Queen Maya’s conception of Buddha when she saw a white elephant entering her womb in a dream. The Bull represents desire during the life of the Buddha as a prince.
There are also non-religious symbolic interpretations of the Lion Capital believing the four lions symbolize Ashoka’s rule over the four directions, the wheels as symbols of his enlightened rule and the four animals as symbols of four adjoining territories of India.

The Sarnath pillar still stands in it’s original place, however the Ashoka Lion Capital or the Ashoka Chakra has been moved to the Sarnath Museum for preservation.