Introduction
Sarnath is one amongst the four holiest of Buddhist places, the others being Lumbini (in Nepal), Bodh Gaya (Bihar) and Kushinagar (Uttar Pradesh). Lord Buddha preached the first sermon to his disciples here at the “Deer Park” after attaining enlightenment at Bodh Gaya. Sarnath generally forms part of a tourist’s itinerary due to its close proximity to Varanasi.
Getting to Sarnath
Sarnath is located approximately 15 kms from Assi Ghat and can be reached by local transport in under an hour. As we had started late at 8.30 AM it made sense for us to book an auto rickshaw. The budget options include shared rickshaw and bus but would have taken more time to reach. Therefore the deal at INR 300 for full auto seemed quite good.
We had planned to hire a guide in Sarnath, given the number of important monuments there. Our experience in Pattadakal had convinced us of their valuable service (Read the Pattadakal blog here). So, when our rickshaw driver suggested that we should hire a local person who would explain the monuments in detail for a mere INR 100, we got excited.
However, the excitement was short lived. The person later on turned out to be nothing more than an agent of a “Banarasi Silk Sarees” shop. After taking us to Mulagandha Kuti Vihara and the Japanese Temple, he took us to a closeby shop, which ended the so-called guided tour. Shortly after we parted ways with the local, few others approached us for similar service down the road. This scam seemed to be going on at scale, so please beware.
Almost all the places that we went to had information boards with details relating to monuments, year of establishment and related information.
Mulagandha Kuti Vihara
Constructed by Bodhi Sattva Anagarika Dharmapala, who was originally from Sri Lanka, the temple opened for the public in 1931. Dharampala also founded the Maha Bodhi Society of India on May 31, 1891 in an effort to revive Buddhism in India and globally.
As a part of its mission, the society also undertakes various social welfare activities. The sacred relics of “The Buddha” are contained in the temple and it has been built in the “Deer Park” at Sarnath, the very place he preached the first sermon.
One can see the obvious south-east asian cultural influence on the architecture of the building. Set amidst meticulously maintained lawns , gardens and walkways, the temple is equally beautiful on the inside. There are paintings depicting life events of the “Buddha” on the inside that adorn the walls. A good collection of spiritual books and scriptures are available in a stall inside the temple for those inclined towards reading
Bodhi Tree Campus
Next to Mulagandha Kuty Vihara, the Bodhi Tree Campus has a walled perimeter and contains a replica statue of The Buddha preaching his first sermon to five disciples.
A peepal tree, originally grown from a branch of the “Bodhi Tree” at Gaya, stands in the center of the red circumambulation walkway with 27 status of Buddha kept around it. Each one resembles one of his previous births. One can also find arrays of prayer wheels along the perimeter walls.
Placed in a corner of the small lawn inside the campus, is a huge bell, of historic significance. We skipped it as we were short of time.
Like we mentioned earlier, all the places have good information for visitors. Check out the pictures containing timings, rules and regulations of the place.
Dhamekh Stupa
Around 800 meters from Mulagandha Kuty Vihara and on Dharampala Road, is located the iconic Dhamekh Stupa.
It appears to be the tallest structure in entire Sarnath with a height of 39.05 meters including the foundation. The stupa has inscriptions, dating back to 1026 A.D as well as writings in 6-7th century A.D Brahmi script. It also contains traces of construction material from the Mauryan period. Exact construction date of the stupa remains unknown but we could tell from the information available on the ASI boards that it was quite old.
The stupa has two distinct parts. The lower part is wider and contains inscriptions of geometric designs in swastika, leaf , floral patterns, birds and humans on the stone face. It resembles a stone drum having a height of 13.11 from ground level. Further up, the construction is entirely with bricks.
One has to pay an entry fee of INR 20 per person to enter this monument. Kindly note that there were no physical windows for procuring the tickets. QR codes are placed at entry and one has to scan using mobile phones and pay online. We saw the guards helping the visitors who may have a challenge with this procedure.
The sun was overhead when we were inspecting these ancient constructions. Early mornings and evenings will be a better time to visit. Apart from the stupa, the perimeter has the remains of a number of monasteries, but only their foundation remains today.
One can engage a registered guide to deep dive into the historic details of the place but we chose to rely solely on the ASI boards given our change of mood following experience with the fake guide earlier in the day.
After a brief photography session, we proceed to explore the remaining attractions at Sarnath. It was already 12:30 pm when we exited Dhamekh Stupa.
Other attractions at Sarnath
The major attractions in Sarnath are close to one another. It is possible to cover all of them on foot provided the weather is pleasant. A better option, especially in the hot weather or with less time in hand would be to hire a battery operated vehicle or an auto rickshaw.
Japanese Temple
Located half a kilometer from Mulagandha Kuty Vihara, the Japanese Temple stands distinctly from its surrounding with its unique architecture. It is extremely clean and well maintained with a garden in front. Upon entering the temple, one can find two big beating drums on either side of Buddha statue, reminiscent of Japanese culture. We were awestruck to find such authentic Japanese architecture in midst Indian religious heartland.
This was the third attraction that we paid a visit to during the day after Mulagandha Kuty Vihara and Bodhi Tree Campus. The fake guide was in a hurry to take us to the emporium next door to get his commission on Banarasi Silk. Not to mention, that soon after we parted ways with him.
Vishwa Shanti Stupa
Adjacent to the Japanese temple is Vishwa Shanti Stupa, a monument dedicated to world peace. At the time of our visit, the place was closed for unknown reasons so we only viewed it from the locked gate. There are stone replicas of Ashoka Pillar in the garden and the gate resembles the Toranas at Sanchi Stupa. Inset in the stupa structure is a statue of Lord Buddha.
Chinese Buddhist Temple
The Chinese Buddhist Temple features imposing gates and a large main temple building with the roof supported by tall red pillars. Its unmistakenly in the Chinese architectural style.
Beautifully maintained gardens lend a tranquil vibe to the place though we found some ongoing renovation work alongside. Yellow and red have been used liberally and set it in stark contrast to the Japanese Temple where the predominent shade was dark brown.
Inside the temple complex is a route map that shows the path followed by Hiuen Tsiang, a legendary Chinese traveller and explorer who visited India in CE. 629-644.
Archaeological Museum, Sarnath
From what we have heard, the place is a treasure house of relics. But being a Friday it was closed for public. This is generally the case across all ASI museums so keep note of it. The museum is set amidst sprawling lawns and beautifully maintained gardens. It will definitely be on our list of to dos in our next visit.
Wat Thai Sarnath Temple
Waking a short distance from Dhamek Stupa, we found the Thai Temple. There are basically two attractions in its premises. The first is the 80 feet and 9 inches tall Buddha statue and second is the temple built in Thai architecture. Upon entering the gates, one will find two straight paths running parallelly to the base of the statue.
Separating these two paths is a long pond full of lotus. This can be considered a must visit location.
In the same campus is Wat Thai Temple. Reminiscent of the temples found in Thailand, its simple design and beautiful golden finish sets apart from other temples.
It was 12:45 pm when we left Wat Thai. Roaming around in the scorching sun had taken a toll on us and we felt like returning to our guest house at Varanasi for some rest. Before anything, we needed to satisfy our hunger pangs and finding a good restaurant at that location seemed challenging. Fortunately, with the help of Google Maps, we were able to select one with a good rating though a little distant . From Thai Temple, we hired an electric rickshaw and went 2 km to Sarnath Cafe for lunch.
On the way we saw Chaukhandi Stupa, a unique monument. But we did not go inside as the heat was killing us. Wish we had some more time or the weather was pleasant. It seemed worth a visit and we will definitely visit it next time we are at Sarnath.
Sarnath Cafe
First impression of the place was really good. There is airconditioning and nice interiors. The menu was quite extensive to suite all kinds of palates and true to its name also offers a good variety of fast food items. We feel that it is restaurant and not just a cafe. The veg chowmeing and fried rice that we ordered was very nicely prepared and we thoroughly enjoyed our lunch.
Earlier in the day, we had puri and chole for breakfast at Bobby Restaurant located at the circle near Mahabodhi Inter College, which was just average.
Our tour of Sarnath concluded as we paid our bill and left for Banaras Hindu University campus at 2 pm.
