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Pro
A very, very holy city, very green, and very peaceful
Con
Roads connecting to Sarnath are dusty
In a nutshell
Want to come closer to Buddha, come to Sarnath
anilpradhanshillong Says: The Mulagandha Kuti Vihar built by the Mahabodhi Society, is a modern temple. It has brilliant frescoes painted by Kosetsu Nosu Japan's celebrated painter. The building houses rare Buddhist literature. Behind the temple is the bodhi tree, the sapling of which was brought...
anilpradhanshillong Says: The place is now mostly in ruins but what beautiful ruins. As you wander about the ruins, you see the massive stupa, the remnants of the Ashoka Pillar, the Lion Capital, various stupas, Dharma Chakra, the monasteries and the Jin-Vihara. It is to the credit of Mr. Duncan and...
anilpradhanshillong Says: Next to this, a bit further down to your left is the Archaeological Museum, a veritable treasure house. There are five galleries and two verandahs. The Lion Capital of Ashoka, with the four-sided lions head, India's National Emblem, awaits you in the main hall. This is the...
anilpradhanshillong Says: Just as you near the Archaeological Museum on your left is the Chaukhandi Stupa. It is on a high mound of bricks. It was supposedly built by Emperor Ashoka. Nearby is India’s tallest statue of Lord Buddha (80 ft), built in an area of 2.5 acres and consisting of 815...
Rupanworld Says: The Dhamek stupa at Sarnath is a beautiful sight. It was built in 500 AD. and it is said to be built at the place where the Budhha first gave his sermon. At the bottom of the huge stupa, there are beautiful floral curvings on stone. There is also a stone slab with Buddhist...
The Lion Capital - Ashoka Pillar
Rupanworld Says: Emperor Ashoka, who spread Lord Buddha's message of love and compassion throughout his vast empire, came to Sarnath around 234 BC and constructed the Ashoka pillar with the Lion Capital on top of it. Today, this pillar has been ruined but in Sarnath archaeological Museum one...
Rupanworld Says: There is a beautiful Deer Park at Sarnath. It is said that this park houses deers that are the direct descendents of the original deer, living thousands of years ago in Sarnath when the Great Buddha preached here.
Rupanworld Says: The Sarnath archaeological Museum is a great collection of Buddhist sculptures, inscriptions, The Buddha's statues and pottery. Some of the finest images/idols of the Buddha and panels depicting important episodes from his life can be found here. One also finds the top of...
Rupanworld Says: The Japanese temple at Sarnath is situated in a very calm and serene environment. The place is also very clean. There is a huge golden statue of the sleeping Buddha inside the temple. This temple is very close to the Dhamek stupa
Rupanworld Says: This is a piture of the chinese temple at Sarnath. This is very close to Dhamek Stupa. Infact, one can enter the Dhamek Stupa from the back side of this temple. This is a very smal but beautiful temple.
Sleeping Buddha at Japanese Temple
Rupanworld Says: Very near to the Dhamek Stupa, infact a walking distance only, is situated the Japanese temple in a very calm and serene environment. There is this huge golden idol of sleeping Buddha that I really liked. Must check out.
The big bell near Mulgandh Kuti Vihar
Rupanworld Says: This is a huge (but very beautiful) bell near the Mulgandha Kuti Vihar temple. We tried ringing it, and I bet it's one hell of a job. The sight is beautiful, and the sorrounding place is so very attractive and cool.
giftvenkey Says: sarnath is only 13 kms from varanasi. But choose not to go on friday becoz the museum will be closed on all fridays. I hired a auto riskaw to go to and from sarnath from varanasi hari chandra gatt. The driver agreed 300 to go and come. But once i reached sarnath i local...
Rupanworld Says: Sarnath is just 10 kilometers away from Varanasi. So the best way to come to this city if you are in Varanasi is just taxi a taxi/other motor vehicle on hire and it will take you a maximum of half an hour to reach there. The reason it takes such a time is because of the...
Helpfulness
There are rows of shops (temporary) on both sides of the road near the archaeological museum at Sarnath.
What to buy: There are beautiful miniature idols of Lord Buddha and also animals, birds etc. on marble or stone that are worth buying as a token. The prices are minimum but have to bargain.
What to pay: For a 3 inch tall idol of Buddha in white marble, expect to pay Rs. 30/- as a good bargain. (See picture here)
Updated Sep 6, 2007
Rupanworld Says: At Sarnath, there the Buddha, the Buddha and only the Buddha everywhere. There is a great influence of Buddhism in this place. Its very calm and peaceful, not much tourists, nor much traffic. There are sculptures, idols, inscriptions etc. on the Buddha everywhere you go....
Willettsworld Says: You can witness current archaeological excavations that are still taking place on the site. It looks like the actual excavating is performed by men and women work in close proximenty by taking away dirt in dishes on their heads.
husain Says: Various travel operators offer `Buddhist tours'.Also, around Sarnath, there are various temples and monasterys of Burmese, Tibetan, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Thai origin and often with monks from those countries living there....
husain Says: Sarnath is about half an hours drive out of benares. Its a sacred place for buddhists. The Buddha preached his first message here, after attaining enlightenment at Bodh Gaya. On the day before his death, the Buddha named Sarnath as one the four places that his followers...
Rupanworld Says: So here's some Hindi words commonly used that might make your travel to Sarnath simpler:Water (Paani), Food (Khana), Lane (Gali), Road (Rasta), House (Ghar), The Ganges (Ganga), Money (Rupiya), How much? (Kitna?), Where? (Kidhar?), How? (Kaise?), Why? (Kiu?), Who? (Kaun?),...
Sarnath lies around 10kms from Varanasi. This town is where Buddha is supposed to have preached his first sermon to 5 disciples in 532 B.C. He was only 35 years old at the time. From Sarnath he sent...
Sarnath - where Buddha preached his first sermon
Located 13km (8 miles) north-east of Varanasi, Sarnath is one of the four holy places associated with the life of Lord Buddha. It is the deer park where Gautama Buddha first taught the Dharam, (the......
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...
Maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India, the grounds of what were once India's largest Buddhist center of learning and devotion are immaculately maintained. Though one can mourn, nearly a......
On the Buddhist trail: Sarnath
A visit to Sarnath in Feb this year (2007) was my third trip. This time, i was shooting a travel show called `Luxury India'.
Build your own Sarnath page
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