SARNATH
Sarnath, near Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, is a significant place for Buddhists. After getting enlightenment in Bodh Gaya, Lord Buddha came to Sarnath.
Here, he gave his first teaching to his five followers. This is called Dhammachakra Pravartana or “Turning of the Wheel of Dharma.” From this moment, Buddhism started spreading.
The peaceful surroundings of Sarnath remind everyone of kindness, truth, and non-violence. It is not only a historical place but also a symbol of India’s rich culture and Buddha’s great teachings.
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Buddhist Ruins of Sarnath
Buddhist Ruins of Sarnath refer to the remains of the Buddha period found in Sarnath. These ruins remind us of the time when Lord Buddha visited Sarnath, and it became an important center of Buddhism.
*During Buddha’s time, simple monuments of soil, sand, and bamboo were built here.
*About 2300 years ago, Emperor Ashoka made them grand with stupas, pillars, and stone structures.
*Later, during the Gupta Dynasty (240–550 A.D.), these monuments were repaired and decorated beautifully.
These ruins may look broken today, but they are treasures of history. Each stone and pillar tells us about the rich culture of the past. They help us understand how people lived, what they believed in, and how Buddhism spread across India and the world.
The ruins are not just pieces of old buildings, but silent teachers that connect us with ancient times. They remind us of Lord Buddha’s teachings of peace, kindness, and wisdom. By studying these ruins, we can learn about the glory of old civilizations and the deep roots of Buddhism that still guide us today.
Main Buddhist Ruins:
Chaukhandi Stupa – Built at the place where Buddha met his first disciples.
Dhamekh Stupa – Built at the place where Buddha gave his first sermon.
Ashoka Pillar – Made by Emperor Ashoka, its Lion Capital is now India’s National Emblem.
Monasteries (Bauddh Maths) – Places where monks lived, prayed, and studied Buddhism.
Moolgandha Kuti Vihar – Moolgandha Kuti Vihar is the place where Buddha meditated during his stay in Sarnath. Later, a beautiful temple was built here in his memory, which is called Moolgandha Kuti Vihar.
Dharmarajika stupa – The Dharmarajika Stupa is one of the important stupas built by Emperor Ashoka in memory of Lord Buddha. It was made to keep holy relics of the Buddha and to spread Buddhism.
Panchayatana Shrine – Panchayatana Shrine is believed to be where Yash, the son of a wealthy merchant, converted to Buddhism.
The Sacred Path between the Main Shrine and Dhamekh Stupa
COMPLETE GUIDE TO THE RUINS OF SARNATH
Chaukhandi Stupa
Chaukhandi Stupa – A Sacred Monument
The Chaukhandi Stupa is one of the most important Buddhist monuments in Sarnath, near Varanasi. It is a tall brick stupa built on a square platform that is divided into four parts. The word “Chaukhandi” itself means “four sections.”
Historical Significance
This stupa is very special because it marks the place where Lord Buddha met his first five disciples—Kondanna, Mahanama, Bhaddiya, Vappa, and Assaji—after attaining enlightenment at Bodh Gaya.
This meeting was the beginning of his journey of teaching the Dhamma (truth), which later spread across the world. That is why the Chaukhandi Stupa is considered a sacred and spiritual site.
Architectural Features
The Chaukhandi Stupa was first built during the Gupta period (4th–5th century A.D.). At that time, it was a simple brick structure. Over time, it became bigger and grander.
The stupa is 93 feet high and has three square terraces that become smaller as they go up. These terraces are supported by strong inner and outer walls. The walls are decorated with niches (small spaces) containing images of Buddha and other fine carvings, which are good examples of Gupta art.
The great Chinese traveler Hiuen Tsang also mentioned this stupa when he visited India in the 7th century. Later, during the Mughal period, an octagonal tower was added to the top of the stupa in 1588 A.D. by Govardhan, son of Raja Todar Mal, to honor Emperor Humayun’s visit.
Importance Today
Today, the Chaukhandi Stupa stands as a symbol of both history and spirituality. It reminds us of Buddha’s first disciples and also shows the beauty of Gupta and Mughal architecture. For Buddhists and history lovers, it is one of the most respected and admired monuments of India.
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Dhamekh Stupa (Buddha Tower)
Dhamekh Stupa – The Place of Buddha’s First Sermon
The Dhamekh Stupa in Sarnath is a very important Buddhist monument. According to an inscription found at the site in 1026 A.D., its old name was Dharma Chakra Stupa, which means the “Stupa of the Wheel of Dharma.” It is believed to mark the sacred place where Lord Buddha gave his first sermon after attaining enlightenment.
Excavations and Discoveries
In the 19th century, the famous archaeologist Alexander Cunningham studied this stupa. While digging deep, at about 91 cm below, he found a stone slab with the inscription “Ye Dharma Hetu Prabhava Hetu” written in Brahmi script of the 7th century A.D. Deeper below, he also discovered an older stupa made of Mauryan bricks, showing that this site has been important since the time of Emperor Ashoka.
Structure and Design
The Dhamekh Stupa is a solid cylindrical tower. Its base is about 28.5 meters wide, and its total height is 42.6 meters. The lower part of the stupa is made of stone up to 11 meters high, and above it rises a cylindrical mass of bricks.
About 6 meters above the base, there are eight niches in eight directions, which once held statues of Lord Buddha. Below these niches runs a beautifully carved stone belt. These carvings show geometric patterns, swastikas, leaves, flowers, birds, and human figures, which are excellent examples of ancient Indian art.
Importance
The Dhamekh Stupa is one of the holiest places for Buddhists. It stands as a reminder of the day when Lord Buddha shared his wisdom with the world for the first time.
The part of the stupa made of stone is engraved with geometrical figures, flowers, leaves, vines, human faces, lotus flowers, etc.
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Ashoka Pillar or Ashok Stambh
The remains of the Ashokan Pillar were discovered near Mulgandha Kuti Vihar.
These are the fragments of a tall pillar, 15.25 meters high, made by Emperor Ashoka of the Maurya dynasty (272–232 BCE). It is made of Chunar sandstone and has a shiny, smooth surface, typical of Mauryan art. The pillar is slightly narrower at the top (0.56 m) than at the base (0.71 m). On top, there was a famous Four-Lion Capital, which is now India’s national emblem and is kept in the site museum.
The pillar has three writings (inscriptions). The first is Ashoka’s message in Brahmi script, warning monks and nuns not to cause fights in the Sangha.
The second is from King Asvaghosha of Kushana, and the third, in Gupta Brahmi script, talks about teachers of the Sammitiya and Vastiputraka schools.
Current Location:
The broken pieces of the pillar are kept where they were found, near Mulgandha Kuti Vihar.
Features:
Even after about 2300 years, Emperor Ashoka’s message warning people not to divide the Buddhist community can still be seen and read easily.
Lion Capital (Top of Ashoka Pillar)
The Lion Capital of Ashoka is one of the most famous symbols of India. The capital shows four lions standing back-to-back, which represent strength, courage, pride, and confidence. The circular base has beautiful carvings of animals like the horse, bull, lion, and elephant, along with the Dharma wheels (24-spoked wheels), which symbolize justice and the spread of Dharma.
Today, the Lion Capital is preserved in the Sarnath Museum, while the broken pillar pieces remain at the original excavation site. It is also India’s National Emblem.
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Monasteries (Bauddh Maths) –
The first Buddhist monastery built by Buddha grew a lot during Emperor Ashoka’s reign. Archaeologists have found remains of seven monasteries. Medicines and bandages were also found, showing that there was a hospital for monks and nuns.
The Chinese traveler Hiuen Tsang wrote that in 630 AD, about 1,500 monks and nuns lived here and studied Buddhist teachings.
The ruins of the monastery cover a large area. There are many small stupas, brick statues of Buddha in meditation, and carvings of animals, birds, and geometric designs. A pillar installed by Ashoka shows a warning to those trying to divide the Buddhist community, proving that this place was an important center of Buddhism.
Main Shrine: Moolgandh or Mulgandha Kuti Vihar
The Mulgandha Kuti Vihar marks the place where Buddha meditated during his time in Sarnath.
Architectural Highlights:
Built on a square base (18.29 meters per side) with thick walls indicating its grandeur.
The ruins of the main gate of Mulgandh Kuti Vihar are located on the east side.
The auditorium is adjacent to Mulgandh Kuti Vihar.
This open-roofed auditorium in the temple was likely used for special purposes. It has a seating area specifically for the chief guests and the temple priest.
Dharmarajika Stupa
The Dharmarajika Stupa was built by Emperor Ashoka to keep the holy relics of Lord Buddha. Ashoka opened many old stupas and collected relics to build thousands of new stupas. Dharmarajika Stupa was one of them.
At first, it was a small stupa, but later it was made bigger many times. It had paths for walking around and stairs at four sides. Sadly, in 1794, a Diwan of Banaras named Jagatsingh broke the stupa to use its stones. During this, a relic box was found. The stone box is kept in the Indian Museum, Kolkata, but the green marble casket was thrown into the Ganga River.
Later, archaeologists also found two beautiful statues here—one of a Bodhisattva from the Kusana period and another of Lord Buddha in the Dharmachakra teaching pose from the Gupta period.
Panchayatana Shrine
The Panchayatan Shrine, located near the main temple, has its ruins preserved under a newly constructed roof. It is believed to be the place where Yash, the son of a wealthy merchant, embraced Buddhism.
Path Connecting the Main Shrine and Dhamekh Stupa
A path from the eastern gate of the main shrine takes us to the great Dhamekh Stupa. Along this path, we can see many small stupas built long ago.
These stupas are very special because they show Lord Buddha in different postures, like sitting, standing, or meditating. Each posture has a meaning and tells us about his teachings, such as peace, kindness, and wisdom.
Walking on this path feels like walking through history, where every stupa reminds us of Buddha’s life and message. It is one of the most peaceful and spiritual places in Sarnath.
There are many small stupas here that show Buddha in different postures.
Ruins found in archaeological excavations of Sarnath
Stone Remains of Sarnath
Many old stone pieces have been collected and kept safely in one place at Sarnath. These pieces are the remains of stones and baked bricks found during archaeological digging. Earlier, they were scattered over a large area, but now they have been gathered together so people can see and learn about them. The Sarnath Museum also has a collection of stones found during archaeological excavations done here from time to time.
Sarnath Museum
Image: Wikipedia
Sarnath Museum – A Place of History
The Sarnath Museum is India’s first site museum. It was built to keep safe the things that were found during excavations in Sarnath.
Design:
The museum was built between 1904 and 1910. Its design looks like a Buddhist monastery (vihara).
What You Can See:
The museum has more than 6,000 old objects. These include Buddhist sculptures, statues, and other artifacts. It also has relics related to Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism. All these things show us the rich history of India.
Why It Is Important:
A visit to the museum helps us understand ancient Indian history and the teachings of Lord Buddha.
Sarnath – A Journey into History
When we walk through the ruins of Sarnath, we feel as if we are stepping back in time. The remains of stupas, monasteries, and stone carvings tell us about the devotion of the people who lived more than 2,000 years ago.
Among the most famous monuments here is the Dhamekh Stupa, a grand structure that stands as a symbol of Buddha’s first teaching.
The Sarnath Museum makes this experience even richer. It is the first site museum in India and holds more than 6,000 artifacts.
These include beautiful statues of Buddha, the Lion Capital of Ashoka (India’s national emblem), and many carvings that show the art and culture of ancient India. The museum helps us understand not only Buddhism but also the history of Hinduism and Jainism.
Visiting Sarnath is like walking through a living history book. The monuments and artifacts whisper stories of the past, reminding us of India’s rich spiritual and cultural heritage. It is truly a place where history and peace come together.
