Which incident from the life of Buddha is symbolized by wheel in Indian Art?

Concept: Before Buddha images existed, early Buddhist art depicted key events of his life aniconically through symbols — the elephant or lotus for his birth, the horse for the Great Renunciation, the Bodhi tree or throne for Enlightenment, the wheel (Dharmachakra) for the First Sermon, and the stupa for the Final Nirvana (death).

Application: The wheel specifically commemorates the event at Sarnath's Deer Park where the Buddha delivered his first sermon after attaining enlightenment, traditionally called 'turning the Wheel of Law' (Dharmachakra Pravartana). The eight spokes of the wheel are read as representing the Noble Eightfold Path taught in that sermon — which is why the wheel became the standard symbol for this specific incident, seen on the Sarnath Lion Capital and the Ashokan pillars.

Cross-check — the other life-events and their symbols:

• Great Renunciation (Mahabhinishkraman) — the horse

• Enlightenment (Sambodhi) — the Bodhi tree or an empty throne

• Final Nirvana (death) — the stupa

Only the wheel is consistently used for the First Sermon across Buddhist art and Ashokan iconography.