Just 10-14 kms away from Varanasi there are these bunch of places which has to be in your to do list. Most of them were built up years and years ago giving pure ancient touch. If you are by chance visiting Varanasi, than Sarnath is a mandatory place to watch out for. We even spotted a library where we were gifted few books on Buddhism and the way of life by the manager. The below mentioned places are easily walkable around 10-15 minutes and you don’t need to take any vehicle unless you are bored of walking.
Dhamek Stupa– It’s a huge stupa located at Sarnath just few kms away from Varanasi,UP.It’s been heard that after parinirvana of Gautam Buddha, his remains were cremated under the eight mounds here. This stupa was built in 500 CE by King Ashoka. Built in a cylindrical shape, the stupa looks fabulous, currently the height of this stupa is around 43 meters. Surrounded by a garden, the place is photogenic. This is indeed one of the best places to visit in Sarnath.
Sarnath Museum- One of the mandatory and best places to Visit in Sarnath is this museum which you can’t miss. According to Archeological Survey of India this is the oldest site museum here. With more than 6000 sculptures and artefacts this museum is a treat for eyes. You can spot the remains of stupas, temples and monastries here.
Chinese Buddhist Temple- Founded in 1939, located near Vaishali Restaurant this temple has various statues of different sizes. It also represents the Life of Buddha through photos and write-ups in Chinese,Hindi and English on a board. Fire, earth, air, water and wisdom are executed through the designs and structures. Sarnath is also known as Isipatana.
Tibetian temple- Located close to Bodhi tree, a visit here was quite a healing experience. You could spot Buddhist paintings on the walls and cielings. There are prayer wheels outside the temple, on being rotated clockwise the paper scrolls with prayers written on them.
Dhamma Chakra Pravartana- This is the Buddhist Pilgrimage site where Gautam Buddha preached his first semons. The major attraction for all the tourists coming from Japan, Vietnam, SriLanka and Myanmar.Overall loved the experience at Sarnath. India definately has most of the historic and heritage places with great stories behind them. We definately are missing out something in our lives if we are not aware of such places or we don’t travel
