Sarnath

Sarnath, renowned as a Buddhist shrine, is a city located about 13 kilometres north-east of Varanasi in the state of Uttar Pradesh. The place is known for being among the four major Buddhist pilgrimage destinations.

Every year Sarnath is visited by tourists for its famous Buddhist sites and stupas along with Deer Park. Buddhism is a major part of Sarnath for several years as this is the place, where Buddha, preached his first sermon.

Sarnath, formally Isipathana, is among one of the four holiest places. The name of this place was derived from the name of Saranganatha (God of Deer). It is believed that this deer was born in the Deer Park, which is also a place where Buddha preached the Dharma for the first time. Every year a number of tourists and historians come here to visit Buddhist sites in Sarnath.

The history of Sarnath dates back to 528 B.C, when Lord Buddha came to this place 5 weeks after attaining salvation in Bodhgaya. As per the memoirs of Huien Tsang, Deer park was constructed by the Jataka king of Benaras.

In 1026 AD, the invasion of Muhammad Ghazni had affected the monuments of the city. The British archaeologists dug out the site and now this place has significant importance in terms of culture and religious heritage for many people.