Sermans at Sarnath

“Let the LIFE travels to Sarnath”


Buddhist worldwide look upon India as the land of the Buddha and a visit to this country means a pilgrimage to all the places sacred to the memory of the enlightened one.
One of the four important places, Sarnath is the deer park where Gautam Buddha first taught the Dharma after the attainment of the enlightenment. Sarnath is located 13 kilometers north-east of Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, India. The Buddha went from Bodhgaya to Sarnath about 5 weeks after his enlightenment.
Most of the ancient buildings and structures at Sarnath were damaged or destroyed by the Turks. However, amongst the ruins can be distinguished:
The Dhamek Stupa is an impressive 128 feet high and 93 feet in diameter. The Dharmarajika Stupa is one of the few pre Ashokan stupas remaining although only the foundations remain. The rest of the Dharmarajika Stupa was removed to Varanasi to be used as building materials in the 18h century. At that time, also relics were found in the Dharmarajika Stupa. These relics were subsequently thrown in the Ganges.
The Chaukhandi Stupa commemorates the spot where the Buddha met his first disciples, dating back to the fifth century or earlier and later enhanced by the addition of an octagonal tower of Islamic origin.
The ruins of the Mulagandhakuti vihara mark the place where the Buddha spent his first rainy season. The modern Mulagandhakuti Vihara is a monastery built in the 1930s by the Sri Lankan Mahabodhi Society with beautiful wall paintings. Behind it is the Deer Park (where deer are still to be seen).
The Ashoka Pillar erected here, originally surmounted by the "Lion Capital of Ashoka" (presently on display at the Sarnath Museum) was broken during Turk invasions but the base still stands at the original location.