The two symbols on my homepage are the seals of the United States and India.
For me they represent being both Indian and American and yet never completely comfortable in either. My identity straddles both cultures.
First used in 1782, the Seal of the United States features a bald eagle with its wings outstretched. It carries 13 arrows in one talon, and an olive branch in the other.
The 13 arrows represent the original 13 colonies, while the olive branch symbolizes that the U.S. desires peace, but is willing to wage war. Since the eagle’s head faces the olive branch, many think it represents the US preferring peace.
The eagle’s beak grasps a scroll with a motto of the United States, “E Pluribus Unum,” translating to, “Out of Many, One.”
The Seal of India is based on a statue built by the famous Indian emperor Ashoka, in 250 BC, featuring four lions. The original Lions symbolized “Power, Pride, Courage, Confidence.”
In 1950, the Indian government adopted the image and it became the official seal. However, the Seal of India shows only three lions.
Lastly, the Devanagari script, “Satyameva Jayate,” at the seal’s base translates to “Truth Alone Triumphs.”
My blog attempts to symbolize both mottos: that out of many narratives, we have one humanity and that truth will always conquer falsehood.
For more on the Seal of India see here and for the United States visit this.