Sarnath
Sarnath, Uttar Pradesh · Buddha · Buddhist Site
Where the Buddha gave the first sermon; Dhamek Stupa and monasteries form a major Buddhist pilgrimage.
Sarnath, a short drive from Varanasi, is the Buddhist site where the Buddha is traditionally held to have delivered his first sermon after enlightenment — setting in motion the Wheel of Dharma at the Deer Park (Mrigadava). The archaeological park, museums and stupas form a core stop on India’s Buddhist circuit, maintained with ASI and tourism oversight.
History
Buddhist tradition places the Dhammacakkappavattana — the first turning of the Dharma wheel — at Sarnath. Emperor Ashoka later marked the sacred landscape; the Ashokan lion capital from here became India’s national emblem.
Major visible monuments include the Dhamek Stupa and related ruins within the protected archaeological area. Modern visitors combine the excavated park with the Sarnath Museum and nearby Buddhist temples and monasteries.
Stories
The first sermon in the Deer Park
After his enlightenment, the Buddha walked to Sarnath, then called Isipatana, near Varanasi, and met five ascetics who had been his companions. In the Deer Park he gave them his first sermon, setting in motion the Wheel of the Dharma.
He taught the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path, and the five became the first members of the Sangha.
The lion capital that became India's emblem
Emperor Ashoka raised a pillar at Sarnath in the 3rd century BCE, topped by four lions standing back to back over a wheel. The capital survives in the Sarnath Museum.
Independent India adopted it as its national emblem in 1950, with the motto 'Satyameva Jayate'. The Dharma Chakra in the middle of the national flag is also drawn from Sarnath.
Stupas, destruction and rediscovery
The Dhamek Stupa, about 43 metres high, was built around 500 CE in the Gupta period over an earlier structure. The Dharmarajika Stupa of Ashoka was largely dismantled in 1794 by workers of the Kashi ruler's minister, who used its bricks for construction and found a relic casket.
British archaeologists, including Alexander Cunningham, later excavated the site. In 1931 the Mahabodhi Society built the Mulagandha Kuti Vihara.
A sacred site for Buddhists and Jains
Sarnath is one of the four main Buddhist pilgrimage sites, with Lumbini, Bodh Gaya and Kushinagar. Buddhists from around the world come on Buddha Purnima and Asalha Puja.
The place is also sacred to Jains as the birthplace of the Tirthankara Shreyansanatha, and a Jain temple stands near the ruins.
Good to know
Site of the Buddha’s first sermon (Buddhist circuit)
Dhamek Stupa and Ashokan heritage associated with the national emblem
ASI archaeological park and museum near Varanasi
Getting there
About 10 km from Varanasi city. Nearest airport: Varanasi (Lal Bahadur Shastri). Rail: Varanasi Junction, then taxi or auto to Sarnath.
Best time to visit: Oct – Mar