Sarnath

Sarnath About ten kms from the Varanasi, is the place where the Lord Buddha, after attaining Enlightenment, gave his first sermon to five disciples or as the Buddhist said put the Dharma Wheel rolling (Dharma Chakra Pravartana). Today, Sarnath is considered one of the richest place to have antiquities since the Ashoka period in the 3rd century BC. Emperor Ashoka founded a number of Stupas and Viharas in the 3rd century B.C. Among the monuments, the Dhamek Stupa is most important. The Dharmarajika stupa was also built by Ashoka. In the same campus is Ashokan Pillar with capitol of four lions that forms today the national emblem of India. Sarnath has many ruins of monasteries and stupas. The place where the stupa is built is supposed to be the place from where Buddha gave his first sermon (the lesson). Sarnath has an extremely rich collection of Buddhist statues. These sculptures are the images of Buddha and Bodhisatva. These images are kept in the Archaeological Museum of Sarnath.

Sarnath is one of the four pilgrimages of the Buddhists. It was Sarnath where Lord Buddha delivered his first sermon and declared the birth of a different 'dharma' (religion)- Buddhism. From Sarnath, the 'dharmachakra pravartan' commenced. In around 234 BC, Emperor Ashoka, a great follower of Buddhism, built a grand stupa- Dharmarajika Stupa, here. Later on Sarnath developed as a prominent Buddhist centre with a grand monastery. Between the 3rd century BC and the 11th century AD, several Buddhist structures were built here in Sarnath. The Muslim invaders in medieval period ransacked and destroyed it. But an inquisitive traveler may still experience the rich past in the remnants of monastery, Dhamekh stupa, Dharmarajika stupa and Emperor Ashoka's pillar. Also, visit Sarnath museum. Sarnath museum also has the figures and the sculptures from the Mauryan, Kushana and Gupta periods discovered during the excavations at Sarnath.