Sarnath

सारनाथ

Where the Buddha gave his first teaching after enlightenment, known as the First Turning of the Wheel of Dharma. It is one of Buddhism's four great pilgrimage sites. Don't miss the Dhamek Stupa, the Ashokan pillar remains and the lion capital in the archaeological museum.

Sarnath lies about 10 kilometres north of Varanasi city. It is where Shakyamuni Buddha first taught the five monks after attaining enlightenment at Bodh Gaya, an event known as the First Turning of the Wheel of Dharma. Together with Lumbini, Bodh Gaya and Kushinagar, it is one of Buddhism's four great pilgrimage sites. Xuanzang described it in detail in the 'Great Tang Records on the Western Regions'.

The core archaeological park contains the Dhamek Stupa, about 43 metres high. It dates from around the 5th to 6th century, during the Gupta period, and its surface is decorated with carved reliefs. Also here are the Dharmarajika Stupa foundations, monastery ruins and fragments of an Ashokan pillar.

Across from the park is the Sarnath Archaeological Museum, which houses the original Ashokan lion capital. Four lions stand back to back, and this design became the model for India's national emblem. The museum also holds the Gupta-period 'Buddha Preaching the First Sermon' statue, considered the pinnacle of Indian Buddhist sculpture. The museum is closed on Fridays, and photography is not allowed inside.

Nearby are the Mulagandha Kuti Vihar, built by the Maha Bodhi Society of Sri Lanka, which contains murals of the Buddha's life painted by a Japanese artist. There are also the Chinese Buddhist temple, the Thai temple and the Japanese temple.

Entry to the archaeological site costs about 300 rupees for foreign visitors, and the museum charges a small additional fee. Getting there from the old city by taxi or tuk-tuk takes about 40 minutes. A round-trip car charter costs about 600 to 1,000 rupees. Plan for half a day.

Sarnath

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