Which of the following is/are the correct components of the "Lion Capital" at Sarnath ? 1. The shaft (stambha-yashti) or the tall tapering column 2. An elliptical top part - the abacus, devoid of any carvings 3. Overflowing inverted petals below the abacus Select the answer using the code given below :
- A.1 only
- B.1 and 3 only
- C.2 and 3 only
- D.1, 2 and 3
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is B, 1 and 3 only. Statements 1 and 3 describe real parts of the Sarnath pillar, while the abacus is neither elliptical nor plain. The Mauryan pillar at Sarnath, set up by Ashoka, had a tall, smooth, tapering shaft of polished Chunar sandstone. Above it sits a bell-shaped base of inverted lotus petals, then a round abacus, and on top four lions seated back to back; a Dharmachakra once crowned them. The abacus is a circular drum carved with four wheels and, between them, an elephant, a bull, a horse and a lion moving clockwise. Statement 2 is therefore incorrect, which rules out options C and D. Option A is wrong because it leaves out statement 3, the inverted lotus bell that is clearly a component of the capital. The Lion Capital is now kept in the Sarnath Museum, and its lions form the State Emblem of India, adopted on 26 January 1950. Exam tip: Sarnath capital = shaft, inverted lotus bell, circular carved abacus (four animals, four wheels), four lions, Dharmachakra.
Practice Questions
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