What 24-spoked wheel appears at the center of India's national flag?

The 24-spoked wheel at the center of India’s national flag is the Ashoka Chakra.

The Ashoka Chakra is a navy-blue depiction of the Dharmachakra, or wheel of dharma. It replaced the spinning wheel, or charkha, that appeared on earlier versions of the Indian flag. The change was made during the flag’s final design process in 1947, helping create a symbol associated with Emperor Ashoka, Buddhist tradition, moral law, and continuous movement.

India’s Constituent Assembly adopted the present flag design on 22 July 1947. The Ashoka Chakra sits in the middle of the white band between the saffron and green bands. Its 24 spokes are evenly spaced, and the wheel is intended to suggest that life and progress depend on movement rather than stagnation.

A frequent mix-up is calling it simply a “Dharma Wheel.” That description refers to the broader religious symbol, while Ashoka Chakra is the specific name used for the emblem on India’s flag. The wheel also appears in the Lion Capital of Ashoka, India’s state emblem.