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Ashoka Chakra
Symbol used on the Indian flag / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about the symbol. For military decoration, see Ashoka Chakra (military decoration).
The Ashoka Chakra (Transl: Ashoka's wheel) is an Indian symbol which is a depiction of the Dharmachakra. It is called so because it appears on a number of edicts of Ashoka the Great,[1] most prominent among which is the Lion Capital of Ashoka.[2] The most visible use of the Ashoka Chakra today is at the centre of the Flag of India (adopted on 22 July 1947), where it is rendered in a navy blue colour on a white background, replacing the symbol of charkha (spinning wheel) of the pre-independence versions of the flag. It is also shown in the Ashoka Chakra medal, which is the highest award for gallantry in peacetime.
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![Thumb image](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/80/Indian_Relief_of_Ashoka%2C_circa_1st_century_BC%2C_from_the_Amaravathi_village%2C_Guntur_district%2C_Andhra_Pradesh_%28India%29%2C_in_the_Guimet_Museum_%28Paris%29.jpg/640px-Indian_Relief_of_Ashoka%2C_circa_1st_century_BC%2C_from_the_Amaravathi_village%2C_Guntur_district%2C_Andhra_Pradesh_%28India%29%2C_in_the_Guimet_Museum_%28Paris%29.jpg)