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Phone Code 0542
Buddha
gave a famous lecture, referred to as Dharmachakra, “Turning the
Wheel of the Law,” here at Deer Park over 2,500 years ago. After
years of meditation and austerities, Buddha attained enlightenment at
Bodh Gaya and then came here to Sarnath around 530 BC, where he delivered
his first speech. Sarnath is a peaceful place located 10km northeast
of Varanasi. It takes a couple of hours to see everything here and it
is an interesting place.
Hiuen
Tsang, from China, visited the site about 640 AD and described what
was there then. There was a monastery that had 1,500 priests, a 60m
(200 ft) high vihara, an Ashoka’s stone stupa, a 21m (70 ft) high
stone pillar, a magnificent 90m (300 ft) high stupa, and many other
monuments. Ashoka built impressive stupas and monasteries here. Muslim
invaders destroyed many of the buildings and monuments. In 1836 the
British started to excavate the area. Now most of the old monuments
are in ruins and there is not much activity here.
There
are several modern Buddhist monasteries here, but Bodh Gaya and Dharamsala
are much better places to study Buddhism.
The
post office is near the Tourist Bungalow.
Places to See
Most of the places to see here are in a peaceful garden area. Admission
is Foreigner/Indians Rs $3/Rs 100; video Rs 25.
The
Dhamekha Stupa is an imposing cylindrical tower 34m
(112 ft) high. It dates back to the 5th or 6th century, and the last
enlargement to it was supposed to be have been made in the 12th century.
It is believed to mark the place of Lord Buddha’s sermon. Slightly
to the west is the Ashoka Column, dating back to the
3rd century. The lion capital that was on top of the column is now in
the Sarnath Museum.
The
“main shrine” building dates from the 3rd
century BC to the 5th century AD. All that is left is the foundation.
The Ashoka Column is in front of the main shrine. North of here is the
excavated ruins of a Buddhists monastery, where there
are four pillars that are said to mark the room where Buddha stayed.
The
Dharmarajika Stupa, which is a short distance to the
west of the Dhamekha Stupa, is attributed to Ashoka. In its core is
a green marble casket containing pieces of human bone, decayed pearls,
gold leaf, and other precious objects. It has been enlarged six times,
the last time being in the 12th century.
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.
Archaeological Museum
Across the street from the main site is an interesting Archaeological
Museum. It has many fine items from the Sarnath area, including a Lion
Capital, which is an extremely valuable sculpture that was originally
on the large Ashoka Pillar west of the Main Site. The Lion Capital is
the state emblem of India. It is 2m (6½ ft) high with an elephant,
lion, bull, and horse, each separated by a wheel at its base; above
these are four lions looking outward. It is worth seeing.
There
are sculptures dating back to the Mauryan, Gupta and Kushana periods.
The museum also has deities, which date back to the 9th to 12th centuries.
There
is a guidebook called Sarnath, by VS Agrawala, sold at the ticket office.
At the ticket office you can also get books about some of the other
archaeological sites in India. Open daily except Friday and government
holidays, 10 am to 5 pm; admission Rs 2.
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. The temple is closed between 11.30
am and 1.30 pm.
There
are five modern Buddhist temples. The Chinese Temple has a nice garden
and the highly decorated Tibetan Temple, has a picture of the Dalai
Lama on the altar. There are also Burmese, Japanese and Thai temples.
Festivals
The full moon day of Vaisakha (April-May) is observed as the anniversary
of Buddha’s birth, enlightenment, and death. The full moon in
the month of Asadh (July-August) is considered the anniversary of his
first sermon.
Tours
A tour goes to Sarnath first and then Ramnagar Fort, if there is time,
departing from Varanasi. Hours are 2.30 to 6.30 pm in the summer and
2 pm to 6 pm in the winter.
Where to Stay and
Eat
UPTDC Tourist Bungalow (259-5965) has rooms with common
bath for Rs 400/450 and Rs 750/800 with bath. There are also dorm beds
for Rs 40. There is a tourist office and a restaurant here.
It is possible to stay at some of the monasteries,
such as the pleasant, very basic Burmese Vihara. The basic Birla Rest
House is near Mulagandhakuti Vihara.
Rangoli Garden Restaurant serves full meals and Anand
is a basic South Indian place.
Travel
There are many buses from the Varanasi Junction railway station (Rs
4) and Varanasi’s Civil Court in the Cantonment (Rs 4). It costs
Rs 45 to go the 20 minutes from Varanasi by auto-rickshaw. There are
shared auto-rickshaws from the stand by the Civil Court and from the
stands in the Godaulia or Lahurabir areas for Rs 10.
If you know of
a informationthat is not correct or if you would like to help update
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