Macro Shot – 5 Rupee Coin

Date of Shoot: March 27, 2010; Macro shot of a 5-rupee coin; the coin shows the Ashok Chakra, the national emblem; This coin was released by the Reserve Bank of India in the year 2009; Denomination:5 Rupees, Metal:Nickel-Brass, Mint:Mumbai ,Mint Mark: Diamond, Weight:6.00 gms, Diameter:23.00 mm, Shape:Circular

The National Emblem of India has an origin steeped in the culture and myriad colors of India. A symbol of the modern Indian republic, the emblem is an adaptation from the Sarnath Lion, capital of Emperor Ashoka the Great as preserved in the Sarnath Museum situated near Varanasi in the north Indian province of Uttar Pradesh.
The National Emblem of India is a near-replica of the Lion Capital of Sarnath. The Lion Capital was erected atop a Pillar in around 250 BC by Emperor Ashoka the Great to mark the spot where Buddha first preached his Dharma (gospel of peace and emancipation) and where the Buddhist Sangha was founded.

In the original Lion Capital of Emperor Ashoka, there stand four Asiatic lions, back to back, mounted on a circular abacus with a frieze carrying sculptures in high relief of an elephant, a galloping horse, a bull and a lion separated by intervening wheels over a bell-shaped lotus. These wheels stand for the "Ashoka Chakra" or "Dharmachakra" or the "Eternal wheel of law" as mentioned in the Hindu scriptures. The whole of the Lion Capital was carved out of a single block of polished sandstone.

The Indian National Emblem, modeled on the Lion Capital, features 3 lions. The fourth lion is hidden from sight since it is positioned at the rear end; so is the bell-shaped lotus flower situated beneath. The frieze beneath the lions is shown with a wheel in the center, a bull on the right, a galloping horse on the left, and outlines of Dharma Chakras on the extreme right and left. The wheel at the centre of the abacus symbolizes the "Dharma Chakra".

The Lion Pillar was adopted as the National Emblem of India on 26 January 1950, the day India became a republic. For more details about our national emblem refer to http://www.theholidayspot.com/indian_independence_day/emblem.htm