"The Holy land of Buddha" Top 5 Page for this destination Sarnath by Rupanworld

Sarnath Travel Guide: 99 reviews and 227 photos

2000 yrs old sculpture stored in Sarnath Museum

It is said that after spending about seven weeks at Bodh Gaya (named after Buddha Gaya), the Buddha went to the deer park at Sarnath, to convert the five ascetics who had left him when he went to Bodh Gaya. It is said that Sarnath derives its name from Saranganatha (Lord of the Deer). In this park only the Buddha is said to have delivered his teachings and set the Wheel of Law (Maha Dharmachakra Pravartan) into motion. A day before his death, he named Sarnath along with Lumbini, Bodh Gaya and Kushinagar as the four places that his followers should consider sacred. Modern day Sarnath is a very small town in the state of Uttar Pradesh at a distance of only 10 kilometers from the holy Hindu city of Varanasi. So if you ever visit Varanasi, do not miss an opportunity to visit this wonderful town. I bet you will be in for an unique experience.

The top of Ashoka Capital at Sarnath Museum

Sarnath is a very very green place with lots of trees around. The place is very calm and you have a very holy feeling in your heart when you visit the place. There are very few people around, but lots of tourist. It is a very small town and so once you reach there, all the tourist spots are just within your walking distance.

It is a town very rich in Buddhist cultures and temples. Some of the monuments here are more than 2000 years old. Famous Indian King Ashoka had built a Stupa here surrounded by a pillar. This was called the Dharmarajika Stupa. On the top of the pillar was sculpted the heads of four Lions back to back. This broken top of the pillar today represents the national emblem of India and is one of the main attractions at the Archaelogical museum of Sarnath.

There are a number of foreign temples at Sarnath like the Tibetian temple, the Chinese temple, the Japanese temple and the Burmese temple which also attract tourists.

Mul-Gandha Kuti Vihar temple at Sarnath

Among other famous tourist attractions in Sarnath are the famous temple of Mul-Gandha kuti Vihar. There are also other ruins of stupas like the Dhamek Stupa and monasteries here. The archaeological museum at Sarnath is another attractive place for the tourists to visit. It houses a very rich collection of statues and sculptures of the Buddha.

If you come to Sarnath, don't forget to take back with you a momento in the form of a mini sculptured Buddha idol which you can find in plenty in all the temporary footpath shops at as less a price as Rs. 10.

Pros and Cons

Pros:A very, very holy city, very green, and very peaceful
Cons:Roads connecting to Sarnath are dusty
In a nutshell:Want to come closer to Buddha, come to Sarnath

Last visit to Sarnath: Jan 2006
Intro Updated Sep 6, 2007
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Reviews (15)

The five followers of Buddha Things to Do (10)

Near the Mulgandh Kuti Vihara temple, one can see the bigger than life idols of The Buddha and his five disciples, while... more travel advice

The Deer park Things to Do (10)

There is a beautiful Deer Park at Sarnath. It is said that this park houses deers that are the direct descendents of the... more travel advice

Miniature idols of Lord Buddha etc. Shopping (1)

There are rows of shops (temporary) on both sides of the road near the archaeological museum at Sarnath. There are... more travel advice

Buddham Saranam Gachchami Local Customs (1)

At Sarnath, there the Buddha, the Buddha and only the Buddha everywhere. There is a great influence of Buddhism in this... more travel advice

Transportation (1)
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Comments (4)

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hunterV Dec 1, 2008 at 9:33 AM

Hello, Rupa! Thanks for your page about that sacred place!
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omidamini Oct 15, 2008 at 12:09 AM

This is nice, thanks
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mallyak Feb 22, 2008 at 12:06 AM

Nice Pics and the place reminds me a bit of Thailand.
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goutammitra Aug 8, 2007 at 3:56 AM

Your tips are as beautiful as ever. But little more narration on Sarnath could have been better.