The Ashoka Chakra: Why the Wheel on Our Flag Has 24 Spokes
The navy blue wheel at the heart of the Tiranga comes from the Lion Capital at Sarnath. Learn its origin, its meaning and the popular interpretations of its 24 spokes.
Where the wheel comes from
The wheel in the centre of the Indian flag is called the Ashoka Chakra. It is taken from the Lion Capital of Ashoka at Sarnath, near Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh. The capital was originally placed on top of a stone pillar erected during the reign of Emperor Ashoka of the Maurya dynasty in the third century BCE. The capital shows four lions standing back to back, and on the abacus below them are four wheels with 24 spokes each, separated by an elephant, a bull, a horse and a lion. The Lion Capital is preserved at the Sarnath Museum, and the four lions form India's State Emblem.
Why Sarnath matters
Sarnath is the place where the Buddha is traditionally said to have given his first sermon after attaining enlightenment, an event often described as setting the wheel of dharma in motion. Emperor Ashoka, after the Kalinga war, turned towards a policy of dhamma, emphasising non-violence, tolerance and the welfare of his subjects. By choosing this wheel, the Constituent Assembly linked modern India to an ancient idea of a just ruler and a moral social order, without making the flag a religious symbol.
What the chakra represents
The Ashoka Chakra is commonly explained as the wheel of dharma, standing for righteousness, truth and the rule of law. Dr. S. Radhakrishnan told the Constituent Assembly that the wheel denotes motion: there is death in stagnation and life in movement, and India should no longer resist change but move forward. The wheel therefore stands for both moral principles and progress.
The 24 spokes
The chakra on the national flag has 24 equally spaced spokes. There is no single official definition that assigns a meaning to each spoke, but a number of interpretations are popular. One common explanation is that the 24 spokes represent the 24 hours of the day, suggesting that life and progress continue at every moment. Another interpretation, often shared in schools and on commemorative occasions, links the spokes to a list of virtues such as love, courage, patience, peace, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, self-control, selflessness, truthfulness, righteousness, justice, mercy, gracefulness, humility, empathy, sympathy, spiritual knowledge, moral values, spiritual wisdom, fear of God, hope and trust. These lists vary from source to source, so it is best to present them as interpretations rather than official definitions.
Navy blue on white
The chakra is navy blue and is placed at the centre of the white band. According to the specifications, it should be clearly visible on both sides of the flag. On official flags the size of the chakra is defined in relation to the size of the flag, and manufacturers follow standards set by the Bureau of Indian Standards. A flag with an incorrect, distorted or missing chakra is not a correct representation of the national flag.
The Ashoka Chakra beyond the flag
The name Ashoka Chakra is also used for India's highest peacetime gallantry award, given for the most conspicuous bravery or self-sacrifice away from the battlefield. The award's design features the wheel, reinforcing the link between the chakra and the ideals of courage and duty. The chakra also appears on the State Emblem and on various official documents.
Drawing the chakra correctly
Students often draw the flag for school projects. When you draw the chakra, make it a circle in the middle of the white band, with 24 straight spokes radiating evenly from a small central hub. Using a protractor, the spokes are 15 degrees apart, because 360 divided by 24 is 15. Small details like these show care and respect for the national flag.
This article is intended for general educational purposes. For official or legal purposes, please refer to the current Flag Code of India and notifications published by the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. Spotted an error? Write to info@tirangaourpride.online.