Why in news?
India unveiled a replica of an Ashokan pillar at Waskaduwa Sri Subhuthi Viharaya in Sri Lanka in July 2025. The gesture commemorates Emperor Ashoka’s role in spreading Buddhism to the island and celebrates shared heritage.
Origin and historical context
- Emperor Ashoka (3rd century BCE) erected monolithic pillars after the bloody Kalinga war to spread his message of dhamma (righteousness) and moral transformation.
- The pillars were India’s first monumental stone architecture and marked a turning point in Ashoka’s life from conquest to benevolent rule.
Structural and artistic features
- Pillars range from 40 to 50 feet in height and are carved from single pieces of Chunar or Mathura sandstone.
- They stand on lotus‑shaped bases and are topped by animal capitals—particularly lions—symbolising purity, sovereignty and the spread of Buddhism.
Edicts and moral messaging
- Inscriptions on the pillars, written in Brahmi, Kharosthi, Aramaic and Greek, convey principles of non‑violence, welfare, justice and respect for all religions.
- They were strategically erected near trade routes, pilgrimage sites and administrative centres to reach a wide audience.
Symbolic capitals
- The Lion Capital from Sarnath depicts four Asiatic lions seated back to back and is now India’s national emblem, representing courage, power and the Buddha’s first sermon.
- While Persian‑Achaemenid influence is visible in the carving style, the pillars reinterpret foreign motifs within a distinctly Indian Buddhist context.
Spread and legacy
- Ashokan pillars facilitated the spread of Buddhism across South Asia and beyond without coercion.
- They remain enduring symbols of ethical governance, religious tolerance and the shared Indo‑Buddhist heritage of India and Sri Lanka.
The replica in Sri Lanka underscores the continuing cultural links forged by Ashoka’s pillars, reminding us that art and architecture can serve as powerful vehicles for moral ideals.