Sarnath

Sarnath – 10 km from the holy city of Varanasi,place where Buddha chose to deliver his first sermon. The famous Mantra, ‘Buddham Sharanam Gachhami’, owes its origin to Sarnath.

On the day before his death Buddha included Sarnath along with Lumbini, Bodh Gaya and Kushinagar as the four places he thought to be sacred to his followers. It makes Sarnath one of the most venerated Buddhist places.  Sarnath is also connected with Jainism.

There are many Buddhist monuments and edifices in Sarnath. Some of the important Buddhist monuments at Sarnath are the Dhamekha stupa, the Chaukhandi stupa and monasteries. The Indian Buddhist society called Mahabodhi Society maintains a park around the Buddha temple. The Mahabodhi Temple houses a tooth relic of the Buddha.

There is also a vast expanse of ancient ruins at Sarnath.

The Ashoka pillar of Sarnath is the National emblem of India.