Sarnath

Sarnath, near Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, is one of Buddhism’s holiest places and an ancient religious town rather than a large city. In the 5th century BCE, after attaining enlightenment at Bodh Gaya, Gautama Buddha came here to a deer park called Isipatana / Mrigadaya and delivered his first sermon, the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta, “turning the wheel of Dharma” for the first time.

Under the Mauryan emperor Ashoka (3rd century BCE), Sarnath developed into a major monastic centre, marked by stupas, monasteries and the Ashokan pillar whose lion capital later became India’s national emblem. Buddhism continued to flourish here under the Kushans and Guptas, and Chinese pilgrims Faxian and Xuanzang described Sarnath as a thriving hub with thousands of monks and many shrines.

From the late 12th–13th centuries, invasions and the decline of Buddhism in North India led to the destruction and abandonment of its monasteries; the site lay in ruins for centuries. In the 19th century, British archaeologists excavated Sarnath, recovering key sculptures, stupas and the layout of the ancient complex.

Today Sarnath is again a vibrant pilgrimage town, with restored stupas like Dhamek Stupa, international monasteries and a site museum preserving its rich Buddhist heritage.