Sarnath Travel Guide
After
attaining enlightenment at Bodh Gaya the Buddha went to Sarnath; and it
was here that he preached his first discourse in the deer park to set in
motion the 'Wheel of the Dharma'. It is one of the most holy sites as in
this place the stream of the Buddha's teaching first flowed. This is one
of the most famous Buddhist centers of India and is located 6 km north
of Hindu pilgrimage center Benares - in Uttar Pradesh, near the highway
to Ghazipur.
There are four sacred Buddhist pilgrimage centers in the Indian
subcontinent. The first of these is the birthplace of Buddha at
Lumbinivana, east of Kapilavastu. The second most sacred place of
pilgrimage is Buddha Gaya where he attained enlightenment. The third
most sacred pilgrimage center for Buddhists is Sarnath or Isipatan where
Buddha delivered his first sermon, and the fourth is Kushinara or Kashia
in Uttar Pradesh, where he finally gave up his mortal self.
Getting There
Air:
Babatpur Airport at Varanasi (12 Km) is the nearest airport. Commercial
flights connect Varanasi to Kathmandu, Delhi , Agra and Mumbai.
Rail :
Varanasi railway station is well connected to important cities.
Varanasi is 12 Km from Sarnath and one can get taxis and buses from
Varanasi to Sarnath..
Road :
It is located on the National Highway No. 29 that also connects
Varanasi and Gorakhpur.
Tourist Attractions
Ashok Pillar
This pillar records the visit of Emperor Ashoka to Sarnath, in the 3rd
century BC. The lion symbolises both Ashoks's imperial rule and the
kingship of the Buddha. The four-lion capital was adopted as the emblem
of the modern Indian republic.
Mulagandha Kuti Vihar
This is a modern temple built by the Mahabodhi society in 1931. The
entrance of the vihara, is dominated by a huge bell, a gift from Japan,
and the interior contains a beautiful life-size golden image of the
Buddha, and colourful murals and frescoes painted by a Japanese artist
Kosetsu Nosu. One can also see the bodhi tree whose sapling was brought
from a tree in Sri Lanka, which in turn originated from the original
tree under which Buddha sat in Bodh Gaya and gained enlightenment 2,500
years ago.
Choukhandi Stupa
The brick remains of the Stupa, dates from the Gupta period, and is
said to be the site, where the Buddha was reunited with his five
disciples, who had previously deserted him. Standing on a terraced
rectangular plinth, the Stupa is capped by an octagonal Moghul tower,
built by Emperor Akbar to commemorate his father's visit to the place.
Dhamarajika Stupa
Only the ruins of this stupa built by Emperor Ashoka can be seen today.
Moolgandha Kuti Vihara
Built in more recent times by the Mahabodhi Society, it has a life-size
statue of the lord Buddha in the Dharmachakra Pravartan form
