Sarnath

After his enlightenment the Buddha came to the deer park at Sarnath and taught the first sermon there, setting the wheel of dharma in motion, which makes this one of the four principal Buddhist pilgrimage sites. The Dhamek Stupa, a cylinder of brick and stone some forty-three metres high with carved geometric bands, marks the traditional spot. Around it lie monastery foundations and the base of an Ashokan pillar. The lion capital that stood on that pillar is in the site museum, and it was adopted in 1950 as the state emblem of India, its wheel appearing on the national flag. Modern temples from several Buddhist countries stand nearby.

History

Here the Buddha gave his first teaching to his five original disciples, and around 250 BC the emperor Ashoka raised a column topped by the Lion Capital to mark the event. Buddhism flourished at Sarnath with the patronage of kings and Varanasi merchants; the Chinese monk Faxian, travelling between 400 and 411, saw four large towers and two monasteries, and Xuanzang, around 640, found hundreds of shrines, a 61-metre monastery hall and about 1,500 monks. The Pala kings supported its monasteries, and in the mid 12th century Queen Kumaradevi recorded building monks' quarters, among the last works before the site was wrecked in 1194; in 2026 Sarnath was inscribed as a World Heritage Site (Wikipedia, Sarnath).

What you'll find

• The Dhamek Stupa - a forty-three metre brick cylinder with carved bands.
• The lion capital - the Ashokan sculpture that became India's state emblem.
• The monastery ruins - excavated foundations across the archaeological park.
• The international temples - Thai, Japanese, Tibetan and other modern monasteries.

When to go

October to March; the site is open ground with little shade and Varanasi summers are severe. Buddha Purnima in spring brings pilgrims. Mornings are quietest.

Before you go

Photography is prohibited in the museum. Ruins are foundations rather than standing buildings. The site is a short trip from Varanasi and often rushed into a half day.

Nearby

Varanasi lies southwest; the Ganges ghats are there.

Key facts