Yamunanagar district will soon have India’s biggest Ashoka Chakra with a diameter of 30 ft.

Facts :

• The country’s tallest replica of Ashoka Chakra with the diameter of 30 feet is ready for unveiling in Yamunanagar’s Topra Kalan village.
• This chakra made of iron is ready and is likely to be erected at Topra Kalan village of the district Yamunanagar. The aim is to revive ancient Buddhist heritage and to attract spiritual tourism from across the world.
• A local NGO, the Buddhist Forum, which has been working for the promotion of ruined ancient Buddhist heritage sites scattered all across the world for the past several years, had planned to develop an Ashoka Edicts Park in this historical village four years ago.
• The replica, made with 90 quintal metal, will be the part of Ashokan Edicts Park, which will be set up by the Haryana Tourism Department in association with the NGO Buddhist Forum.It was started on 28 acres that were provided by the village panchayat for the project to develop it as a heritage centre.
• Ashoka Edicts Park would have a replica of all major Ashokan pillars and rock edicts in the Indian subcontinent, largest collection of bodily relics of the Buddha in the world, reconstruction of the Lumbini and Mahabodhi temples and statue of Emperor Ashoka.
• During the reign of Emperor Ashoka, a pillar was erected in Topra Kalan village about 2300 years ago. But in the 14th century, Feroz Shah Tughlaq transported this massive pillar from Topra Kalan to Delhi.
• Presently, the pillar is standing in Kotla, New Delhi. It is the only pillar having seven Ashokan edicts on it. Later on, some minor edicts were added by Anagpal, King of Delhi in the 10th century.
• From last year, construction work on this chakra of 24 spokes has been going on. The diameter of this chakra is 30 ft and it weighs around 6 tonnes.
• The uniqueness of this chakra was that it was non-armature structure. The Buddhist Forum has made the chakra with its resources, but Kamal Engineering Company, Yamunanagar, have given their services free of cost for the design and fabrication work of the Chakra.
• The chakra has been painted golden like the majority of Buddha idols as it is considered a highly spiritual colour.
• The motive behind Ashokan Edicts Park is to make the coming generations aware about Samrat Ashoka. The total cost of the project would be around Rs 100 crore while the construction of Chakra will cost around Rs 40 lakh.
• Sarpanch of the village, said that they were feeling proud that their village was among 5,97,464 villages in India to get this honour. This feat would be registered in the Limca Book of Records too.
• One of the founders of this park, Dr Satyadeep Neil Gauri, said that the park would rekindle India’s glorious image globally.

Background :

• In 2015 April, Manohar Lal Khattar, the Chief Minister of Haryana, announced an allocation of INR 50 crore (INR 500 million) to build an Ashokan Edicts Archaeological Park at Topra Kalan village where seven Ashoka Pillars, eight Rock Edicts and other ancient structures of Mauryan Time will be constructed.
• It was all started back in 2011 when Sidhartha Gauri and Dr. Satyadeep Neil Gauri, Founders of The Buddhist Forum initiated the project of Topra Asoka Edicts Park along with Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), Gram Panchayat, Topra Kalan and other social organizations.
• Village panchayat has given away 28 acres land for the construction of park, museum and monastery.

About Topra Ashokan Pillar :

• Topra, combined name for the larger Topra Kalan and adjacent smaller Topra Khurd, is a Mauryan Empire-era village in Yamunanagar district of Harayana state in India.
• Situated in Pong valley of is the original home of Delhi-Topra Ashokan pillar, one of many pillars of Ashoka, that was moved from Topra to Feroz Shah Kotla in Delhi in 1356 CE by Firuz Shah Tughlaq (1309-1288 CE).
• The original inscription on the Delhi-Topra Ashokan obelisk is primarily in Brahmi script but language was prakrit, with some Pali and Sanskrit added later.
• The inscription was successfully translated in 1837 by James Prinsep. This and other ancient lats (pillars, obelisk) have earned Firoz Shah Tughlaq and Delhi Sultanate fame for its architectural patronage.
• The inscription on the 3rd century pillar describe King Devanampiya Piyadasi's policies and appeal to the people and future generations of the kingdom in matters of dharma (just, virtuous life), moral precepts and freedoms.
• The Sultanate had wanted to break and reuse the Ashokan pillar for a minaret. Firoz Shah Tuhglaq, however decided to erect it near the mosque instead. At the time of re-installation of the obelisk in Delhi, in 1356, no one knew the meaning of the script engraved in the stone.
• About five hundred years later, the script (Brahmi) was deciphered by James Prinsep in 1837 with help from scripts discovered on other pillars and tablets in South Asia.
• It was restored by the Raja Hindu Rao after the Revolt of 1857.

About INTACH :

• The Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) is a non-profit charitable organisation registered under the Societies' Registration Act, 1860.
• In 2007, the United Nations awarded INTACH a special consultative status with United Nations Economic and Social Council.
• INTACH was founded in 1984 in New Delhi with the vision to create a membership organisation to stimulate and spearhead heritage awareness and conservation in India.
• Since 1984, INTACH has pioneered the conservation and protection of India's natural and cultural heritage and is today the largest membership organisation in the country dedicated to conservation.