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Sarnath |
Click Here for Sarnath Tour Packages
Sarnath
the tranquil deep park at Sarnath is where the Buddha
preached his first sermon. Sarnath became one of the
great centers of Buddhism and the Emperor Ashoka erected
magnificent stupas and structures here. The Chinese
scholar Huien Tsang wrote of the splendor of this
city. Rediscovered and excavated in 1836, Sarnath
is once again a place of pilgrimage where visitors
come to pay homage to the great teacher.
HISTORY
After
attaining enlightenment at Bodh Gaya, Buddha came
to this little village (18 kms north east of Varanasi)
and preached his first sermon, the Dharmachakra. Later,
the great Mauryan emperor Ashoka commemorated this
by erecting a large number of monasteries and stupas.Sarnath
was a great center of religious activity and learning
from 4 -9 BC until it was destroyed by the Mogul invasions
in 1197. After excavations by the British in 1835,
it has become a major Buddhist center.
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::PILGRIMAGE
ATTRACTIONS OF SARNATH::
Dhamek
Stupa
The imposing stupa 39m high was probably erected in
200 B.C in the Mauryan era. Rebuilt a number of times,
the geometric and flora patterns on the stupa belong
to the later Gupta period.
Ashoka Pillar
Erected by the Emperor Ashoka, the pillar had his edict
engraved on it. At one time it stood over 17m high.
Its capital with the four lions back to back-the official
symbol of modern India, can be seen in the museum at
Sarnath.
Bodhi Tree
Grown from the sapling of the famous tree in Anuradhapura,
Sri Lanka, which is believed to be a progeny of the
original tree at Budh Gaya, under which the Lord Buddha
attained enlightenment.
Chaukandi Stupa
This stupa was rebuilt by Mughal Emperor Akbar.
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.
The Digambara Jain Temple
The Digambara Jain temple, southwest of the Dhamekh
Stupa, built in 1824, is said to be where Shreyanshnath,
the 11th Jain tirthankara was born. Inside the temple
are good frescoes, which depict the life of Mahavir,
the founder of the present day Jain religion.
Buddhist Temples
The Mulagandhakuti Vihara is a modern temple built by
the Mahabodhi Society in 1931. The silver casket in
the temple is said to have the original relics of the
Buddha in it. It was recovered from the ruins of the
first century temple. The temple has interesting murals
depicting the life story of Buddha. The murals were
painted by a well-known Japanese artist, Kosetsu Nosu,
in 1936. Outside the temple is a bo tree transplanted
from Sri Lanka. It is said to be a descendant of the
original tree under which Buddha sat when he attained
enlightenment. There is a collection of rare Buddhist
literature here.
::EXCURSIONS::
Chanderi
The town is famous for gaossamer Chanderi Sarees.
It has also some of the finest examples of Bundela,
Rajput and Malwa Sultanate architecture. A magnificent
Mughal fort dominates the skyline of this old interesting
town.
Barua Sagar
The town situated on the road to Khajuraho, is named
after Barua Sagar Tal, a large lake created about
260 years ago when Raja Udit Singh of Orchha built
the embanked. The Barua Sagar Fort, pictuersque and
located at a height, commands an excellent view of
the lake and surroundings landscape.
The Archaeological Museum
It will take you about an hour to go through the excellent
collection which includes the lion capital (from the
Ashokan Pillar). This is India’s national emblem
and consists of four lions at right angles to each
other. There are other sculptures dating from the
Kushan, Mauryan and Gupta periods (a stone railing,
seated Buddha and images of other Hindu gods).
SARNATH
- IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Area: 2.80 sq.
km.
Altitude: 80.71
mtrs. above sea level
Temperature :
30°C - 41°C (Summers)
6°C - 17°C (Winters)
STD Code : 0542
Ideal time to visit:
Summers can get unbearably hot. November up
to March is a good time to go.
Clothing: Cottons
(Summer), Winter: Woollens.
Language spoken:
Hindi
Festivals: Buddha
Purnima (May), Kartik Purnima (Oct-Nov)
Related Tour Packages
Buddhist Pilgrimage Tour (PI 002)
Duration : 14 Nights / 15 Days
Places Covered : Delhi - Jaipur - Agra - Varanasi
- Bodhgaya - Vaishali - Kushinagar - Lumbini
- Kapilvastu - Sravasti - Balrampur - Lucknow
book
now
Buddhist Temples Tour in India & Nepal (PI
018)
Duration : 11 Nights / 12 Days
Places Covered : Kathmandu - Lumbini(Nepal)
- Sravasti - Kushinagar - Varanasi(Sarnath)
- Bodhgaya - Rajgir - Nalanda - Patna(Vaishali)
- Kolkata
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now
Jain Temple Tours (PI 027)
Duration : 4 Nights / 5 Days
Places Covered : Varanasi - Kushinagar (Kakandi
and Pawanagar) - Shravasti - Ayodhya - Allahabad
(Kaushambi) - Varanasi
book
now
EVENTS
Sarnath’s
biggest event is the Buddha Purnima, a full-moon
night in the month of May, the birthday of Gautam
Buddha. A large fair is held and devotees from
all over Asia arrive to celebrate the event.
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HOW
TO GET THERE
Air
Varanasi (Babatpur) Airport is the nearest
airport.
Rail
Varanasi railway station is well connected
to important cities.
Road
It is located on the National Highway
No. 29 that also connects Varanasi and Gorakhpur.
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