Sarnath: The Quiet Heritage Trail Ten Kilometres from the Ghats of Varanasi
Most visitors to Varanasi plan their days around the ghats and the Kashi Vishwanath temple, and then run out of time before they reach Sarnath. That is a pity, because the site sits barely ten kilometres from the river and offers one of the calmest heritage mornings anywhere in the district. Travel films made this month have brought fresh attention to it, and the timing is good — the monsoon greenery makes the deer park unusually beautiful. Sarnath is where the Buddha is believed to have delivered his first sermon after attaining enlightenment, setting in motion the teaching tradition that spread across Asia. The deer park, known in the old texts as Isipatana or Mrigadava, grew into a major centre of learning over the following centuries, with monasteries, stupas and study halls built by successive rulers. The standing highlight today is the Dhamek Stupa, a cylindrical mass of stone and brick rising more than forty metres, its lower band carved with delicate floral and geometric patterns. Around it lie the excavated foundations of ancient monasteries, the Dharmarajika Stupa base, and the remains of an Ashokan pillar. The Sarnath Museum nearby holds the Lion Capital of Ashoka, the sculpture that India adopted as its State Emblem. The Mulagandha Kuti Vihar, built in the twentieth century, carries mural paintings by the Japanese artist Kosetsu Nosu. For planning: Sarnath is a thirty to forty minute drive from the ghats, and mornings are the coolest and quietest time to walk the complex. Allow at least two hours to cover the archaeological park and the museum, carry water, and remember that the museum is closed on Fridays. Modest dress and quiet conversation are appreciated at a site that is still an active place of pilgrimage.
Compiled by HelloBanaras from public sources: