Why in News?

• In honour of Emperor Ashoka’s contribution to the spread of Buddhism on the island, India unveiled a replica of the Ashokan Pillar at Waskaduwa Sri Subhuthi Viharaya in Sri Lanka.

Concerning Ashokan Pillar:

Origin and Background History:
• After the Kalinga war, Emperor Ashoka (3rd century BCE) constructed it to express his moral metamorphosis.
• Marked the first instance of Dhamma architecture in India and Asia.

Features of Structure and Art:
• Made of monolithic sandstone, primarily from Chunar and Mathura, the pillars are 40–50 feet high.
• Topped with animal capitals, particularly lions, which represent purity and sovereign dharma, and lotus bases.

Moral Messages and Edicts:
• Brahmi, Kharosthi, Aramaic, and Greek inscriptions conveyed messages of justice, welfare, and non-violence.
• Positioned strategically close to capitals, trade routes, and places of worship to morally sway the populace.
• Symbolic fairness.
• Capitals: Sarnath’s Lion Capital symbolises both regal power and Buddha’s clan (Shakya).
• It is currently the national emblem of India.
• Round-carved capitals show Persian-Achaemenid influence, but they have been reinterpreted in a Buddhist setting.

Propagation and Legacy:
• Aided in the non-coercive spread of Buddhism throughout Central Asia, Sri Lanka, and South Asia.
• Act as representations of Indo-Buddhist identity, religious tolerance, and moral leadership today.