Visitors to the courtyard of the complex’s Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque will immediately spot an imposing 7.2-meter, six-ton iron pillar with a decorative top that’s even older than the complex.

Sarnath is famous for the magnificent Ashokan pillar which has four lions carved back-to-back. The Ashokan pillar is adopted by Indian constitution as our national emblem called Ashoka Chakra.