Asoka's pillar. 32-foot high polished sandstone columns were erected at the time of Asoka's reign to commemorate events in Buddha's life or to mark routes to holy sites. The Lions of Sarnath: Sarnath is where Asiddhartha Gautama first preached, and these lions echo his teachings to the four corners of the world. The wheel symbolizes Buddhist law and also Asoka's legitimacy as an enlightened ruler.