Sarnath: Difference between revisions

Sarnath
सारनाथ
Sarnath ; सारनाथ
Historical City
	View of Sarnath, looking from the ruins of the ancient Mulagandha Kuty Vihara towards the Dhamek Stupa
	Nickname: Isipatana
	Error creating thumbnail: File missing Error creating thumbnail: File missing Sarnath ; सारनाथ Sarnath सारनाथ is located in Uttar Pradesh Error creating thumbnail: File missing Sarnath ; सारनाथ
	Coordinates: 25°22′41″N 83°01′30″E / 25.3780°N 83.0251°E
Country	India
State	Uttar Pradesh
District	Varanasi
Languages
• Local	Bhojpuri
Time zone	UTC+5:30

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Sarnath (also referred to as Sarangnath, Isipatana, Rishipattana, Migadaya, or Mrigadava)^[1] is a place located 10 kilometres (6.2 miles) northeast of Varanasi, near the confluence of the Ganges and the Varuna rivers in Uttar Pradesh, India.

Sarnath is where, circa 528 BCE, at 35 years of age, Gautama Buddha taught his first sermon after attaining enlightenment at Bodh Gaya.^[2] It is also where the Buddhist sangha first came into existence as a result of the enlightenment of his first five disciples (Kaundinya, Assaji, Bhaddiya, Vappa and Mahanama).^[3] According to the Mahaparinibbana Sutta (Sutta 16 of the Digha Nikaya), the Buddha mentioned Sarnath as one of the four places of pilgrimage his devout followers should visit and look upon with feelings of reverence. The other three sites are Lumbini (the birthplace of the Buddha), Bodh Gaya (where the Buddha achieved enlightenment), and Kushinagar (where the Buddha attained parinirvana).^[4]^[5]

Etymology

The name Sarnath derives from the Sanskrit word Sāranganātha (or Sārangnāth in the Pali language),^[1] which translates to "Lord of the Deer" in the English language.^[6] The name refers to an ancient Buddhist legend, in which the Bodhisattva was a deer and offered his life to a king instead of the doe the king was planning to kill. The king was so moved that he created the park as a deer sanctuary.^[7] The term for "deer park" is Mriga-dāva in Sanskrit, or Miga-dāya in the Pali language.^[8]

Isipatana is another name used to refer to Sarnath in Pali, the language of the Pali Canon. This name corresponds to the name Rishipattana in the Sanskrit language. The terms isi (Pali) and rishi (Sanskrit) refer to an accomplished and enlightened person. Isipatana and Rishipattana therefore translate to "the place where holy men descended",^[9] or "the hill of the fallen sages".^[10]

History

5th century BCE – 6th century CE

Buddhism flourished in Sarnath during the second urbanisation (c. 600 – 200 BCE, from the time of the Mahajanapadas through the Nanda and Maurya periods), in part because of patronage from kings and wealthy merchants based in Varanasi. By the 3rd century CE, Sarnath had become an important centre for the Sammatiya school of Buddhism (one of the early Buddhist schools), as well as for art and architecture. However, the presence of images of Heruka and Tara indicate that Vajrayana Buddhism was (at a later time) also practised here. Also, images of Hindu gods as Shiva and Brahma were found at the site, and a Jain temple was located very close to the Dhamek Stupa.^{[citation needed]}

Buddhism further expanded in India during the Gupta (4th to 6th centuries) period. Faxian was a Chinese Buddhist monk who traveled extensively throughout northern India from 400–411 CE. In his description of Sarnath, he mentioned seeing four large towers and two viharas with monks residing in them.^{[citation needed]}

6th century – 8th century

The influence of Buddhism continued to grow during the Later Gupta (6th–8th centuries). When Xuanzang visited Sarnath around 640 CE, he reported seeing hundreds of small shrines and votive stupas, and a vihara some 61 metres (200 feet) in height containing a large statue of the Buddha.^[11] Xuanzang also wrote that "There are about 1500 priests here, who study the Little Vehicle according to the Sammatiya school.^[12] In his writings, Xuanzang mentioned a pillar constructed by Ashoka near a stupa that marked the location where the Buddha set the wheel of the law in motion.^[13]

8th century – 12th century

During the Pala (8th–11th centuries) period, the rulers built new mahaviharas such as Odantapuri, Somapura, Jagaddala, and Vikramashila and patronised existing ones such as Nalanda and Sarnath. During this time, Buddhist pilgrims and monks from all over Asia traveled to Sarnath to meditate and study. The Palas were the last major Buddhist dynasty to rule in the Indian subcontinent. They were replaced by the Gahadavala dynasty, whose capital was located at Varanasi.^{[citation needed]}

Although the Gahadavala kings were Hindu, they were tolerant of Buddhism. Inscriptions unearthed at Sarnath in the early 20th century indicate that some of the monasteries there enjoyed royal patronage from the Gahadavala rulers. For example, in a mid-12th-century inscription attributed to Queen Kumaradevi (consort of King Govindachandra), she takes credit for the construction or restoration of a living quarters for monks.^[14] It is widely asserted that the structure referred to in the Kumaradevi inscription is the Dharma Chakra Jina Vihar, but the evidence for this is inconclusive. Whatever the case, it is likely to be among the last structures to be built at Sarnath prior to its destruction in 1194.^[15] The inscription, excavated at Sarnath in March 1908,^[16] is currently maintained at the Sarnath Archeological Museum.^[17]

Late 12th century: the destruction of Sarnath

Along with Sarnath (which is located in present-day Uttar Pradesh), the most important Buddhist mahaviharas in India were Vikramashila, Odantapuri, and Nalanda (all located in present-day Bihar). All four of these centres of learning continued to thrive throughout the 12th century, probably because of the protection, support and tolerance demonstrated by the Pala and Gahadavala rulers. For example, the Kumaradevi inscription mentions that King Govindachandra had protected Varanasi from invasions by the Ghaznavids (which the inscription refers to as Turushkas) in the early to mid-12th century.^[18] Apart from North India, Buddhism had been declining throughout the Indian subcontinent and had virtually disappeared by the 11th century.^{[citation needed]}

Islamic invasions in the late 12th century brought massive plunder and destruction to northern India. Most notable among these were the military campaigns of Muhammad of Ghor, the Ghurid ruler from Ghazni (which is in present-day Afghanistan). Qutbuddin Aibek — the Turkic commander of Muhammad of Ghor's army — led an army from Ghazni to Varanasi and Sarnath in 1194 CE.^[19]^[20] Rai Jai Chand (c. 1170–1194 CE, the reigning Gahadavala dynasty king at that time) was killed during the Battle of Chandawar,^[21] and virtually everything of value in Varanasi and Sarnath was destroyed or plundered. Qutbuddin Aibek reportedly carted away some 1400 camel loads of treasure.^[22] According to the 13th-century Persian historian Hasan Nizami, "nearly 1000 temples were destroyed and mosques were raised on their foundations, the Rais and chiefs of Hind came forward to proffer their allegiance [to the Ghurids]".^[23]

While Qutbuddin Aibek destroyed Sarnath, it was the troops of Bakhtiyar Khalji—another of Muhammad of Ghor's slave generals—that finished the job. They destroyed Vikramashila in 1193, Odantapuri in 1197, and Nalanda in 1200.^[24] The Buddhists who survived this genocide in northern India fled to Nepal, Sikkim, Tibet,^[25] or South India. By the end of the 12th century, Buddhism had effectively disappeared from the Indian subcontinent, except for these areas.^{[citation needed]}

18th century: rediscovery and looting

Very few Buddhists remained in India after their persecution and expulsion at the end of the 12th century by the Ghurids. Buddhists from Tibet, Burma, and Southeast Asia continued to make pilgrimages to South Asia from the 13th to the 17th centuries, but their most common destination was Bodh Gaya and not Sarnath.^[26] Sarnath continued to be a place of pilgrimage for Jains, however. A 17th-century Jain manuscript written in 1612 CE (the Tirthakalpa, by Jinaprabha Suri) describes a Jain temple in Varanasi as being located close to "a famous Bodisattva sanctuary" at a place called dharmeksā. This Sanskrit word translates to "pondering of the law", and clearly refers to the Dhamek Stupa.^[27]

India experienced an increase in visitation by European people in the late 18th century. In 1778, William Hodges became possibly the first British landscape painter to visit India.^[28] While there, he made careful observations of the art and architecture he encountered. He published an illustrated book about his travels in India in 1794. In his book, he described mosques and other Islamic architecture, Hindu temples, and Greek-inspired columns.^[29] Hodges also briefly described the Dhamek Stupa, although he mistook it to be a ruined Hindu temple.^[30]^[31]

In what is the first incontrovertible modern reference to the ruins at Sarnath, Jonathan Duncan (a charter member of the Asiatic Society and later Governor of Bombay) described the discovery of a green marble reliquary encased in a sandstone box in the relic chamber of a brick stupa at that location. The reliquary was discovered in January 1794, during the dismantling of a stupa (referred to by Alexander Cunningham as stupa "K" or the "Jagat Singh stupa",^[32] later identified as the Dharmarajika Stupa)^[33] by employees of Zamindar Jagat Singh (the dewan of Maharaja Chait Singh, the Raja of Benares).^[34] Duncan published his observations in 1799.^[35]^[36]^[37] The reliquary contained a few bones and some pearls, which were subsequently thrown into the Ganges river.^[38] The reliquary itself has also disappeared, although the outer sandstone box was replaced in the relic chamber, where it was rediscovered by Cunningham in 1835.^[34] The bricks of the stupa were hauled off and used for the construction of the market in Jagatganj, Varanasi.^[39] Jagat Singh and his crew also removed a large part of the facing of the Dhamek Stupa, and removed several Buddha statues which he retained at his house in Jagatganj.^[40]

19th century: more looting and early archeological excavations

The next modern description of Sarnath was by Francis Buchanan-Hamilton, who visited the site around 1813. He drew a crude map of the site—which he called Buddha Kashi—at that time.^[41] Colin Mackenzie was an officer in the British East India Company who later became the first Surveyor General of India. Visiting Sarnath in 1815, he was the first to describe a dedicated exploration of the ruins.^[34] Throughout the early 19th century, amateur archeologists explored and excavated at Sarnath, removing antiquities, and several artists drew sketches of the site (especially of the Dhamek Stupa).^[42]

In 1835–1836, a 21-year-old British Army engineer with the Bengal Engineer Group named Alexander Cunningham conducted the first systematic archaeological excavations at Sarnath.^[43] He had carefully studied the writings of Faxian and Xuanzang, two Chinese Buddhist monks who traveled extensively throughout northern India in the early 5th and early 7th centuries, respectively. Based on their writings and those of Duncan, he conducted some careful measurements and excavations at Sarnath in 1835–1836. During the course of these excavations, Cunningham discovered and removed many statues from monastery "L" and temple "M", as well as the sandstone box reported by Duncan from the Dharmarajika Stupa. He presented these items to the Asiatic Society of Bengal, and they are now located in the Indian Museum in Kolkata.^[34] By 1836, Cunningham had conclusively identified Sarnath as the location of the Buddha's first sermon.^[44]^[45] In 1861, Cunningham became the founder and first Director-General of the Archaeological Survey of India.

In 1851–1852, Markham Kittoe (1808–1853) conducted further excavations at Sarnath. Kittoe noted the presence of four stupas at Sarnath and excavated a structure he described as a hospital, which was located roughly midway between the Dhamek and Jagat Singh stupas.^[46] He also recovered a seated Buddha statue from Jagat Singh's house and transcribed its inscription.^[47] In his writings, Kittoe speculated that Sarnath was destroyed as a result of a great fire.^[48]

Sometime in the mid-19th century, Sarnath was subjected to further depredations, as 48 statues and a tremendous amount of bricks and stones were removed from the historic site to be used in the construction of two bridges over the Varuna River.^[49] A final instance of despoilation occurred around 1898, when many bricks and stones were removed from Sarnath and used as ballast for a narrow-gauge railway that was under construction at that time.^[50]

20th century: extensive excavations and restoration

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Friedrich Oertel's plan of excavation. The lion capital was found in 1905 to the west of the main shrine, which is to the north of the "Jagat Singh" stupa.

Friedrich Oertel conducted extensive excavations in 1904-1905. His team focused on the area near stupa "J" (the Dhamek Stupa), stupa "K" ("Jagat Singh stupa", now known as the Dharmarajika Stupa), monastery "L", temple "M", hospital "N", monastery "O", and the Ashokan pillar. In March 1905, the team exhumed parts of the base and shaft of the pillar with its Schism Edict, lion capital, and remnants of the dharmachakra sculpture.^[51] Dating to c. 241-233 BCE,^[52] these are the oldest and most important relics discovered at Sarnath thus far.^[2] J. Ph. Vogel translated the inscription—which was written in the Brahmi of the Maurya period-and tentatively dated it to 249 BCE.^[53]

Present day: archaeological ruins

According to the Mahaparinibbana Sutta (Sutta 16 of the Digha Nikaya), the Buddha mentioned Sarnath as one of the four places of pilgrimage his devout followers should visit and look upon with feelings of reverence.^[4]^[5] Beginning in the late 18th century, ancient sites such as Sarnath have been subjected to extensive archaeological study and restoration. Consequently, Sarnath has regained its former status as a place of pilgrimage, both for Buddhists and Jains. In 1998, Sarnath was nominated for inclusion on the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) list of World Heritage Sites of outstanding universal value to cultural heritage. The nomination comprises two groups of monuments: group "A" is represented by the Chaukhandi Stupa, while all other monuments (e.g., temples, stupas, monasteries, and the pillar of Ashoka) are included as part of group "B".^[54] Sites of greatest importance to Buddhist pilgrims include:

The Dhamek Stupa is an impressive structure, 39 metres (128 feet) high and 28 metres (92 feet) in diameter.^{[citation needed]}
The Dharmarajika Stupa is one of the few pre-Ashokan stupas remaining at Sarnath, although only the foundations remain. It has been the subject of extensive depredations and archaeological excavations, from the late 18th through the early 20th century.^[55]
The Ashokan pillar erected here was broken during the invasions of the 12th century but many of the pieces remain at the original location. The pillar was originally surmounted by the Lion Capital of Ashoka, which in turn served as the base of a large 32-spoke sandstone wheel of dharma. The lion capital and the wheel of dharma, presently on display at the Sarnath Archeological Museum, now symbolize the modern state of India. Both of these appear on the emblem of the Supreme Court of India,^[56] and the wheel of dharma is incorporated in the flag of India.^[57]
The ruins of the ancient Mulagandha Kuty Vihara mark the place where the Buddha spent his first rainy season. This was the main temple marked by the presence of the Ashokan pillar at the front. The 5th-century CE sandstone sculpture of Buddha Preaching his First Sermon was found in the vicinity.^{[citation needed]}
The Dharma Chakra Jina Vihar, a massive monastery and living quarters for monks believed to have been constructed or restored in the mid-12th century at the behest of Kumaradevi, a wife of Govindachandra (c. 1114–1155 CE).^[14]
The Chaukhandi Stupa commemorates the spot where the Buddha met up with his first five disciples (Kaundinya, Assaji, Bhaddiya, Vappa and Mahanama). Located 0.8 kilometres (0.50 miles) south of Dhamek Stupa, it is capped with an octagonal brick tower. The tower was erected as a memorial to Emperor Humayun by his son Akbar in 1588 CE.^[58]
The Sarnath Archeological Museum houses the famous Lion Capital of Ashoka, which miraculously survived its 45-foot drop to the ground (from the top of the Ashokan pillar), and became the State Emblem of India and national symbol on the flag of India. The museum also houses the original 5th-century CE sandstone sculpture of Buddha Preaching his First Sermon, as well as the Kumaradevi inscription.^[17]

Modern places of worship

In addition to the archaeological ruins, there are a number of other pilgrimage sites and places of worship in Sarnath. Among these are included:

The modern Mulagandha Kuty Vihara is a temple constructed by the Maha Bodhi Society; it was opened to the public in 1931. Wealthy Hawaiian philanthropist and benefactor Mary Robinson Foster provided much of the financial support for this project, while Anagarika Dharmapala supervised its construction. Dharmapala was a Sri Lankan Buddhist monk who was instrumental in the revival of Buddhism in India after it had been virtually extinct in that country for seven centuries.^[59] The temple contains a gilded replica of a 5th-century CE sculpture of Buddha Preaching his First Sermon. Its interior walls are extensively decorated with frescoes by Japanese artist Kosetsu Nosu (1885-1973), depicting important events in the life of the Buddha.^[60]
Anagarika Dharmapala Museum & offices of the Maha Bodhi Society, located on Dharmapala Road, just south of the modern Mulagandha Kuty Vihara
A standing Buddha statue, 24.3 metres (80 feet) in height, inspired by the Buddhas of Bamiyan,^[61] is located on the grounds of the Thai temple and monastery at Sarnath.^[62] Construction began in 1997, and the statue was finally unveiled in 2011.^[63]
A number of countries and regions in which Buddhism is a major religion (such as Cambodia, China, Japan, Korea, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Tibet, and Vietnam) have established temples and monasteries in Sarnath in the style that is typical for their respective cultures, so visitors can gain insight into Buddhism from the perspectives of many different cultures.^[64]
A bodhi tree planted by Anagarika Dharmapala which has grown from a cutting of the one at Bodh Gaya^{[citation needed]}
Padmasambhava Buddhist Center: Padma Samye Chokhor Ling Monastery, Orgyen Samye Chokhor Ling Nunnery, Khenchen Palden Sherab Rinpoche Stupa
Vajra Vidya Institute for Higher Buddhist Studies
Garden of Spiritual Wisdom, located on the grounds of the Chaukhandi Stupa

As a Jain pilgrimage site

Singhpur (Simhapuri), a village approximately 1.7 kilometres (1.1 miles) northwest of Sarnath,^[27] is believed to be the birthplace of Shreyansanatha, the 11th tirthankara of Jainism.^[65] It is also the place where four of the five auspicious life events of Shreyansanatha took place. According to Jain cosmology, the fifth auspicious life event is the attainment of moksha. Shreyansanatha was among the twenty Jain tirthankaras who attained moksha in Sametshikhar.^[65]

Sarnath has been an important pilgrimage site for Jains for centuries.^[66] A 17th-century Jain manuscript describes a Jain temple in Varanasi as being located close to "a famous Bodisattva sanctuary" at a place called dharmeksā. This Sanskrit word translates to "pondering of the law", and clearly refers to the Dhamek Stupa. The current edifice—Sarnath Jain Tirth (also known as the Shri Digamber Jain Temple or Shreyanshnath Jain Temple)—was constructed in 1824.^[27] Located only about 70 metres (230 feet) to the southwest of the Dhamek Stupa, this temple is dedicated to Shreyansanatha.^[66] The main deity of this temple is a blue-coloured statue of Shreyansanatha, 75 centimetres (30 inches) in height, in the lotus position.^{[citation needed]}

Other tourist attractions

Tourist attractions unrelated to Buddhism and spirituality in Sarnath include the Sarnath Deer Park and Fish Canal, and the Sarnath Turtle Breeding and Rehabilitation Centre.

Tourist arrival in Sarnath^[67]
Year	International	Domestic	Total
2013	362,113	838,566	1,200,679
2014	374,268	899,457	1,273,725
2015	388,102	924,552	1,312,654
2016	409,242	957,320	1,366,562
2017	430,682	1,024,589	1,455,271
2018	435,752	1,070,035	1,505,787
2019	336,136	1,132,615	1,468,751

In English literature

In her 1832 poetical illustration Template:Ws, to a picture by Samuel Prout, Letitia Elizabeth Landon compared the four major religions of the world and mentioned the persecution and subsequent expulsion of the Buddhists from India.^[68]

Sarnath is one of the locations of Rudyard Kipling's 1901 novel Kim. Teshoo Lama stays at the "Temple of the Tirthankhers" in Sarnath when not on his pilgrimages.^[69]

The Nameless City is a fictional short story published in 1921 by H. P. Lovecraft. When the narrator of this story sees the ruins of the Nameless City, he "thought of Sarnath the Doomed, that stood in the land of Mnar when mankind was young, and of Ib, that was carven of grey stone before mankind existed."^[70] Lovecraft had previously described the fictional city of Sarnath in his 1920 story The Doom That Came to Sarnath.^[71]

Gallery

Plan of excavations at Sarnath, with sites labeled using Alexander Cunningham's terminology (1835)
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Plan of excavations at Sarnath, with sites labeled using current (English) terminology
View of Sarnath during archaeological excavations, 1907. Camera angle from the ruins of the ancient Mulagandha Kuty Vihara towards the Dhamek Stupa; the Sri Digamber Jain temple can be seen on the right side of the photograph.
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Buddha statue inside a votive stupa at Sarnath
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The Lion Capital of Ashoka, the Buddha Preaching his First Sermon sculpture, and the Ashokan pillar, along with other antiquities as they appeared upon their exhumation at Sarnath on 15 March 1905 (photograph by F. O. Oertel).^[72]
The Lion Capital of Ashoka, now located in the Sarnath Archeological Museum, as it appeared in 2011
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Dharmarajika Stupa, from the pre-Ashokan period, as it appeared in 2007
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Pieces of the pillar of Ashoka at Sarnath, as they appeared in 2016, protected behind a glass enclosure
Brahmi inscription on the main pillar of Ashoka at Sarnath
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Greco-Persian sculpture of the head of a West Asian foreigner from the Maurya period, Sarnath Museum^[73]
Perso-Ionic capital of the Mauryan period, excavated at Sarnath^[74]
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Opposite side of the same capital, excavated at Sarnath, depicting an elephant
The Bala Bodhisattva, an important statue for dating Indian art, was discovered at Sarnath. The statue was dedicated in "the year 3 of Kanishka" (circa 129 CE).^[75]
Exterior of the Sri Digamber Jain temple at Sarnath
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Interior of the Sri Digamber Jain temple at Sarnath
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The modern Mulagandha Kuty Vihara, a Buddhist temple constructed by the Maha Bodhi Society at Sarnath
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A replica of the Buddha Preaching his First Sermon sculpture, located in the modern Mulagandha Kuty Vihara
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Fresco in the modern Mulagandha Kuty Vihara, by Japanese artist Kosetsu Nosu
Temple and monastery of the Tibetan community in Sarnath
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Seated statue of the Buddha, with standing Buddha statue in the background, on the grounds of the Thai temple and monastery at Sarnath

References

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 NRI Department, Government of Uttar Pradesh, India (2022). "About Sarnath". Sarnath. Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India: NRI Department, Government of Uttar Pradesh, India. Retrieved 1 January 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
↑ ^2.0 ^2.1 Sahni 1914, p. 2.
↑ BuddhaNet (2008). "The First Five Monks". Life of the Buddha. Tullera, NSW, Australia: Buddha Dharma Education Association Inc. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
↑ ^4.0 ^4.1 "Maha-parinibbana Sutta: The Great Discourse on the Total Unbinding (excerpt)". Access to Insight. Translated by Bhikkhu, Thanissaro. Barre, Massachusetts: Barre Center for Buddhist Studies. 1998. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
↑ ^5.0 ^5.1 "Maha-parinibbana Sutta: Last Days of the Buddha (Part Five)". Access to Insight. Translated by Vajira, Sister; Story, Francis. Barre, Massachusetts: Barre Center for Buddhist Studies. 1998. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
↑ Schumann 2004, p. 67.
↑ BuddhaNet (2008). "Buddha Tales, Volume 1". King Banyan Deer. Tullera, NSW, Australia: Buddha Dharma Education Association Inc. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
↑ Sahni 1914, p. 1.
↑ Sarao 2017, p. 581.
↑ Asher 2020, p. 1.
↑ Oertel 1908, pp. 60-61.
↑ Li 1914, pp. 98-100.
↑ Asher 2020, p. 9.
↑ ^14.0 ^14.1 Konow 1908, pp. 320, 327-8.
↑ Asher 2020, pp. 6-8.
↑ Konow 1908, p. 319.
↑ ^17.0 ^17.1 Archaeological Survey of India (2013). "Accession Number: 33 (Kumaradevi inscription)". Archaeological Museum Sarnath. Sarnath, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh: Archaeological Survey of India - Sarnath Circle. Retrieved 2 January 2023.
↑ Konow 1908, pp. 321, 327.
↑ Habib 1981, p. 116 Quote: "In the winter of A.D. 1194-1195 Shihabuddin once more marched into Hindustan and invaded the Doab. Rai Jai Chand moved forward to meet him and came face to face with Qutbuddin Aibek, who was leading the vanguard of the invading army.... Shihabuddin captured the treasure fort of Asni and then proceeded to Banares, where he converted about a thousand idol-temples into houses for the Musalmans".
↑ Chandra 2007 Quote: "In 1194, Muizzuddin returned to India. He crossed the Jamuna with 50,000 cavalry and moved towards Kanauj. A hotly contested battle between Muizzuddin and Jaichandra was fought at Chandawar near Kanauj. We are told that Jaichandra had almost carried the day when he was killed by an arrow, and his army was totally defeated. Muizzuddin now moved on to Banaras which was ravaged, a large number of temples there being destroyed".
↑ Khan 2008, p. 80 Quote: "Jaichandra was defeated and killed by Muhammad Ghauri at Chanwar (40 kilometers east of Agra) in 1193".
↑ Asher 2020, p. 11.
↑ Niyogi 1959, p. 111.
↑ Meston 1915, p. 169.
↑ Sanyal 2012, pp. 130-1.
↑ Asher 2020, pp. 21-22.
↑ ^27.0 ^27.1 ^27.2 Oertel 1908, p. 60.
↑ Pran Nevile (3 May 2009). "India's past on canvas". The Tribune. Chandigarh: Tribune Trust. Retrieved 2 January 2023.
↑ Hodges 1794, pp. 59-77.
↑ Hodges 1794, p. 62 Quote: "Surrounding the city are many ruins of buildings, the effects of Mahomedan intolerance. One is a large circular edifice, having evidently been a Hindoo temple, or part of one; there are still vestiges of some of the ornaments; and on one part I found the Grecian scroll".
↑ Ray 2014, pp. 78-79.
↑ Oertel 1908, p. 65.
↑ Archaeological Survey of India (2014). "Dhamek Stupa". Our Monuments. Sarnath, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh: Archaeological Survey of India - Sarnath Circle. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
↑ ^34.0 ^34.1 ^34.2 ^34.3 Oertel 1908, pp. 61-62.
↑ Duncan 1799, pp. 131-133.
↑ Cunningham 1871, pp. 118-119.
↑ Asher 2020, p. 22.
↑ Sahni 1917, pp. 17–20.
↑ Sherring 1868, p. 26.
↑ Oertel 1908, pp. 62-64.
↑ Asher 2020, pp. 12-13.
↑ Asher 2020, pp. 14-15.
↑ Asher 2020, p. 23.
↑ Cunningham 1871, pp. 103-130.
↑ Asher 2020, p. 12.
↑ Asher 2020, pp. 27-28.
↑ Asher 2020, p. 24.
↑ Asher 2020, p. 27.
↑ Sherring 1868, p. 25 Quote: "...in the erection of the bridges over the river Barna, forty-eight statues and other sculptured stones were removed from Sarnath and thrown into the river, to serve as a breakwater to the piers; and that, in the erection of the second bridge, the iron one, from fifty to sixty cart-loads of stones from the Sarnath buildings were employed".
↑ Oertel 1908, p. 64.
↑ Oertel 1908, pp. 68-70.
↑ Phuoc 2010, p. 38.
↑ Vogel 1906, pp. 166-167.
↑ UNESCO World Heritage Centre (2023). "Ancient Buddhist Site, Sarnath, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh". Tentative Lists. Paris: UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
↑ Oertel 1908, pp. 61-68.
↑ Wagner 2021, p. 406 Quote: "A slightly different (32-spoke) version of the same wheel adorns the logo of the Supreme Court of India as a visual declaration of righteousness, authority and truth....".
↑ Sadan 2016, p. 177.
↑ Oertel 1908, p. 74.
↑ Nakamura 2001, pp. 267-8.
↑ Nosu 1939, p. 27.
↑ Tricycle 2009.
↑ Shubham Mansingka (11 January 2017). "Thai Temple & Monastery". The Times of India. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
↑ "Sarnath gets country's tallest statue of Buddha". The Times of India. 16 March 2011. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
↑ Katherine Tanko (30 April 1999). "Centuries of Pilgrimage:Buddhists Still Flock to Sarnath". The New York Times. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
↑ ^65.0 ^65.1 Federation of Jain Associations in North America 2021, p. 241.
↑ ^66.0 ^66.1 Shubham Mansingka (11 January 2017). "Digambar Jain Temple". The Times of India. Retrieved 2 January 2023.
↑ Uttar Pradesh Tourism Department (10 June 2022). "Annual Tourist Visits Statistics - 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 & 2021". Year-wise Tourist Statistics. Lucknow: Department of Tourism, Uttar Pradesh. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
↑ Landon 1832, pp. 16-17.
↑ Kipling 1902, p. 266.
↑ Lovecraft 2011, p. 93.
↑ Lovecraft 2011, pp. 41-44.
↑ Elliott, Diemberger & Clemente 2014, p. 125.
↑ Smith 1911, pp. 374–5.
↑ Smith 1911, pp. 101-2.
↑ Mani 2012, pp. 60-61.

Cited works

Asher, Frederick M. (2020). Sarnath: A Critical History of the Place Where Buddhism Began. Los Angeles: Getty Research Institute. ISBN 978-1606066164.
Chandra, Satish (2007). History of Medieval India: 800-1700 (PDF). Hyderabad: Orient BlackSwan. ISBN 978-9352874576.
Cunningham, Alexander (1871). "Banaras Sarnath". Four reports made during the years 1862-63-64-65. Vol. 1. Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India: Archaeological Survey of India. pp. 103–130.
Duncan, Johnathan (1799). "An Account of the Discovery of Two Urns in the Vicinity of Benares". Transactions of the Society Instituted in Bengal, for enquiring into the History and Antiquities, the Arts, Sciences and Literature, of Asia. 5: 131–3.
Elliott, Mark; Diemberger, Hildegard; Clemente, Michela (2014). Buddha's Word: The Life of Books in Tibet and Beyond (PDF). Cambridge, England: Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, University of Cambridge. ISBN 978-0947595203.
Federation of Jain Associations in North America (2021). Compendium of Jainism (PDF) (4th ed.). Carson, California: Jain Education International. ISBN 978-1594060663.
Habib, Mohammad (1981). Nizami, Khaliq Ahmad (ed.). Politics and Society During the Early Medieval Period: Collected Works of Professor Mohammad Habib. Vol. 2. New Delhi: People's Publishing House.
Hodges, William (1794). "Chaper IV: Description of Benares". Travels in India, during the years 1780, 1781, 1782, and 1783. London: printed for the author, and sold by J. Edwards.
Khan, Iqtidar Alam (2008). Historical Dictionary of Medieval India. Historical Dictionaries of Ancient Civilizations and Historical Eras. Vol. 20. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press. ISBN 978-0810855038.
Kipling, Rudyard (1902). Kim (1st ed.). London: MacMillan & Company.
Konow, Sten (1908). "Sarnath Inscription of Kumaradevi". Epigraphica Indica. 9 (51): 319–28.
Landon, Letitia Elizabeth (1832). Fisher's drawing room scrap-book; with poetical illustrations by L.E.L, 1833. London: Fisher, Son, and Jackson.
Li, Hwui (1914). The Life of Hiuen-Tsiang. Vol. Book III. Translated by Beal, Samuel (2nd ed.). London: Kegan Paul, Trench, Trübner & Company.
Lovecraft, Howard Phillips (2011). The Complete Works Of H. P. Lovecraft.
Mani, B. R. (2012). Sarnath: Archaeology, Art and Architecture. New Delhi: Archaeological Survey of India.
Meston, James (1915). "India". Hutchinson's Story of the Nations. London: Hutchison & Co. pp. 123–222.
Nakamura, Hajime (2001). Gotama Buddha: A Biography Based on the Most Reliable Texts. Vol. 1. Translated by Sekimori, Gaynor (1st ed.). Tokyo: Kosei Publishing Company. ISBN 978-4333018932.
Niyogi, Roma (1959). The History of the Gāhadavāla Dynasty. Kolkata: Calcutta Oriental Book Agency.
Nosu, Kosetsu (1939). Life of Buddha in Frescoes: Mulagandhakuti Vihara, Sarnath. Kolkata: Maha Bodhi Society. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
Oertel, Friedrich Oscar (1908). "Excavations at Sarnath". Archaeological Survey of India Annual Report, 1904–1905. Calcutta: Superintendent Government Printing, India. pp. 59–104.
Phuoc, Le Huu (2010). Buddhist Architecture. Lakeville, Minnesota: Grafikol. ISBN 978-0984404308.
Ray, Himanshu Prabha (2014). The Return of the Buddha: Ancient Symbols for a New Nation (1st ed.). New Delhi: Routledge. ISBN 978-0415711159.
Sadan, Jha (2016). Reverence, Resistance and Politics of Seeing the Indian National Flag. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-1107118874.
Sahni, Daya Ram (1914). Catalogue of the Museum of Archaeology at Sarnath (PDF). Calcutta: Superintendent Government Printing, India.
Sahni, Daya Ram (1917). Guide to the Buddhist ruins of Sarnath. Calcutta: Archaeological Survey of India.
Sanyal, Sanjeev (2012). Land of the Seven Rivers: A Brief History of India's Geography. Gurgaon, India: Penguin Books India Private Limited. pp. 130–1. ISBN 978-8184756715.
Sarao, Karam Tej Singh (2017). Long, Jeffery D. (ed.). Buddhism and Jainism. Encyclopedia of Indian Religions. Dordrecht, Netherlands: Springer. doi:10.1007/978-94-024-0852-2_100384. ISBN 978-9402408515.
Schumann, Hans Wolfgang (2004). The Historical Buddha: The Times, Life, and Teachings of the Founder of Buddhism. New Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass. ISBN 8120818172.
Sherring, Matthew Atmore (1868). Benares: The Sacred City of the Hindus. Delhi: B. R. Publishing Corporation.
Smith, Vincent Arthur (1911). A history of fine art in India and Ceylon, from the earliest times to the present day. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
Tillotson, Giles Henry Rupert (2000). The Artificial Empire: The Indian Landscapes of William Hodges (1st ed.). Abingdon-on-Thames, England: Routledge. ASIN B00AZ4O282.
Tricycle (2 November 2009). "It's not quite Bamiyan but..." Tricycle: The Buddhist Review. 19 (1).
Vogel, Jean Philippe (1906). "Epigraphical Discoveries at Sarnath". Epigraphica Indica. 8 (17): 166–179.
Wagner, Anne (2021). Marusek, Sarah (ed.). Flags, Color, and the Legal Narrative: Public Memory, Identity, and Critique. Cham, Switzerland: Springer Nature. ISBN 978-3030328641.

External links

Template:RBK

Template:Sarnath Museum Template:Archaeological sites in India

[NRI2022-1] 1.0 ^1.1 NRI Department, Government of Uttar Pradesh, India (2022). "About Sarnath". Sarnath. Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India: NRI Department, Government of Uttar Pradesh, India. Retrieved 1 January 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

[FOOTNOTESahni19142-2] 2.0 ^2.1 Sahni 1914, p. 2.

[buddhanet-3] BuddhaNet (2008). "The First Five Monks". Life of the Buddha. Tullera, NSW, Australia: Buddha Dharma Education Association Inc. Retrieved 1 January 2023.

[Thanissaro1998-4] 4.0 ^4.1 "Maha-parinibbana Sutta: The Great Discourse on the Total Unbinding (excerpt)". Access to Insight. Translated by Bhikkhu, Thanissaro. Barre, Massachusetts: Barre Center for Buddhist Studies. 1998. Retrieved 1 January 2023.

[Vajira&Story1998-5] 5.0 ^5.1 "Maha-parinibbana Sutta: Last Days of the Buddha (Part Five)". Access to Insight. Translated by Vajira, Sister; Story, Francis. Barre, Massachusetts: Barre Center for Buddhist Studies. 1998. Retrieved 1 January 2023.

[FOOTNOTESchumann200467-6] Schumann 2004, p. 67.

[BDEA113-7] BuddhaNet (2008). "Buddha Tales, Volume 1". King Banyan Deer. Tullera, NSW, Australia: Buddha Dharma Education Association Inc. Retrieved 3 January 2023.

[FOOTNOTESahni19141-8] Sahni 1914, p. 1.

[FOOTNOTESarao2017581-9] Sarao 2017, p. 581.

[FOOTNOTEAsher20201-10] Asher 2020, p. 1.

[FOOTNOTEOertel190860-61-11] Oertel 1908, pp. 60-61.

[FOOTNOTELi191498-100-12] Li 1914, pp. 98-100.

[FOOTNOTEAsher20209-13] Asher 2020, p. 9.

[FOOTNOTEKonow1908320,_327-8-14] 14.0 ^14.1 Konow 1908, pp. 320, 327-8.

[FOOTNOTEAsher20206-8-15] Asher 2020, pp. 6-8.

[FOOTNOTEKonow1908319-16] Konow 1908, p. 319.

[ASI2013-17] 17.0 ^17.1 Archaeological Survey of India (2013). "Accession Number: 33 (Kumaradevi inscription)". Archaeological Museum Sarnath. Sarnath, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh: Archaeological Survey of India - Sarnath Circle. Retrieved 2 January 2023.

[FOOTNOTEKonow1908321,_327-18] Konow 1908, pp. 321, 327.

[19] Habib 1981, p. 116 Quote: "In the winter of A.D. 1194-1195 Shihabuddin once more marched into Hindustan and invaded the Doab. Rai Jai Chand moved forward to meet him and came face to face with Qutbuddin Aibek, who was leading the vanguard of the invading army.... Shihabuddin captured the treasure fort of Asni and then proceeded to Banares, where he converted about a thousand idol-temples into houses for the Musalmans".

[20] Chandra 2007 Quote: "In 1194, Muizzuddin returned to India. He crossed the Jamuna with 50,000 cavalry and moved towards Kanauj. A hotly contested battle between Muizzuddin and Jaichandra was fought at Chandawar near Kanauj. We are told that Jaichandra had almost carried the day when he was killed by an arrow, and his army was totally defeated. Muizzuddin now moved on to Banaras which was ravaged, a large number of temples there being destroyed".

[21] Khan 2008, p. 80 Quote: "Jaichandra was defeated and killed by Muhammad Ghauri at Chanwar (40 kilometers east of Agra) in 1193".

[FOOTNOTEAsher202011-22] Asher 2020, p. 11.

[FOOTNOTENiyogi1959111-23] Niyogi 1959, p. 111.

[FOOTNOTEMeston1915169-24] Meston 1915, p. 169.

[FOOTNOTESanyal2012130-1-25] Sanyal 2012, pp. 130-1.

[FOOTNOTEAsher202021-22-26] Asher 2020, pp. 21-22.

[FOOTNOTEOertel190860-27] 27.0 ^27.1 ^27.2 Oertel 1908, p. 60.

[Nevile2009-28] Pran Nevile (3 May 2009). "India's past on canvas". The Tribune. Chandigarh: Tribune Trust. Retrieved 2 January 2023.

[FOOTNOTEHodges179459-77-29] Hodges 1794, pp. 59-77.

[30] Hodges 1794, p. 62 Quote: "Surrounding the city are many ruins of buildings, the effects of Mahomedan intolerance. One is a large circular edifice, having evidently been a Hindoo temple, or part of one; there are still vestiges of some of the ornaments; and on one part I found the Grecian scroll".

[FOOTNOTERay201478-79-31] Ray 2014, pp. 78-79.

[FOOTNOTEOertel190865-32] Oertel 1908, p. 65.

[ASI2014-33] Archaeological Survey of India (2014). "Dhamek Stupa". Our Monuments. Sarnath, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh: Archaeological Survey of India - Sarnath Circle. Retrieved 1 January 2023.

[FOOTNOTEOertel190861-62-34] 34.0 ^34.1 ^34.2 ^34.3 Oertel 1908, pp. 61-62.

[FOOTNOTEDuncan1799131-133-35] Duncan 1799, pp. 131-133.

[FOOTNOTECunningham1871118-119-36] Cunningham 1871, pp. 118-119.

[FOOTNOTEAsher202022-37] Asher 2020, p. 22.

[FOOTNOTESahni191717–20-38] Sahni 1917, pp. 17–20.

[FOOTNOTESherring186826-39] Sherring 1868, p. 26.

[FOOTNOTEOertel190862-64-40] Oertel 1908, pp. 62-64.

[FOOTNOTEAsher202012-13-41] Asher 2020, pp. 12-13.

[FOOTNOTEAsher202014-15-42] Asher 2020, pp. 14-15.

[FOOTNOTEAsher202023-43] Asher 2020, p. 23.

[FOOTNOTECunningham1871103-130-44] Cunningham 1871, pp. 103-130.

[FOOTNOTEAsher202012-45] Asher 2020, p. 12.

[FOOTNOTEAsher202027-28-46] Asher 2020, pp. 27-28.

[FOOTNOTEAsher202024-47] Asher 2020, p. 24.

[FOOTNOTEAsher202027-48] Asher 2020, p. 27.

[49] Sherring 1868, p. 25 Quote: "...in the erection of the bridges over the river Barna, forty-eight statues and other sculptured stones were removed from Sarnath and thrown into the river, to serve as a breakwater to the piers; and that, in the erection of the second bridge, the iron one, from fifty to sixty cart-loads of stones from the Sarnath buildings were employed".

[FOOTNOTEOertel190864-50] Oertel 1908, p. 64.

[FOOTNOTEOertel190868-70-51] Oertel 1908, pp. 68-70.

[FOOTNOTEPhuoc201038-52] Phuoc 2010, p. 38.

[FOOTNOTEVogel1906166-167-53] Vogel 1906, pp. 166-167.

[UNESCO-54] UNESCO World Heritage Centre (2023). "Ancient Buddhist Site, Sarnath, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh". Tentative Lists. Paris: UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 1 January 2023.

[FOOTNOTEOertel190861-68-55] Oertel 1908, pp. 61-68.

[56] Wagner 2021, p. 406 Quote: "A slightly different (32-spoke) version of the same wheel adorns the logo of the Supreme Court of India as a visual declaration of righteousness, authority and truth....".

[FOOTNOTESadan2016177-57] Sadan 2016, p. 177.

[FOOTNOTEOertel190874-58] Oertel 1908, p. 74.

[FOOTNOTENakamura2001267-8-59] Nakamura 2001, pp. 267-8.

[FOOTNOTENosu193927-60] Nosu 1939, p. 27.

[FOOTNOTETricycle2009-61] Tricycle 2009.

[MansingkaThai2017-62] Shubham Mansingka (11 January 2017). "Thai Temple & Monastery". The Times of India. Retrieved 1 January 2023.

[TNN2011-63] "Sarnath gets country's tallest statue of Buddha". The Times of India. 16 March 2011. Retrieved 1 January 2023.

[Tanko1999-64] Katherine Tanko (30 April 1999). "Centuries of Pilgrimage:Buddhists Still Flock to Sarnath". The New York Times. Retrieved 1 January 2023.

[FOOTNOTEFederation_of_Jain_Associations_in_North_America2021241-65] 65.0 ^65.1 Federation of Jain Associations in North America 2021, p. 241.

[MansingkaJain2017-66] 66.0 ^66.1 Shubham Mansingka (11 January 2017). "Digambar Jain Temple". The Times of India. Retrieved 2 January 2023.

[uptourism-67] Uttar Pradesh Tourism Department (10 June 2022). "Annual Tourist Visits Statistics - 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 & 2021". Year-wise Tourist Statistics. Lucknow: Department of Tourism, Uttar Pradesh. Retrieved 1 January 2023.

[FOOTNOTELandon183216-17-68] Landon 1832, pp. 16-17.

[FOOTNOTEKipling1902266-69] Kipling 1902, p. 266.

[FOOTNOTELovecraft201193-70] Lovecraft 2011, p. 93.

[FOOTNOTELovecraft201141-44-71] Lovecraft 2011, pp. 41-44.

[FOOTNOTEElliottDiembergerClemente2014125-72] Elliott, Diemberger & Clemente 2014, p. 125.

[FOOTNOTESmith1911374–5-73] Smith 1911, pp. 374–5.

[FOOTNOTESmith1911101-2-74] Smith 1911, pp. 101-2.

[FOOTNOTEMani201260-61-75] Mani 2012, pp. 60-61.

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v t e Topics in Buddhism
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Outline Glossary Index
Foundations	Four Noble Truths Three Jewels Buddha Dharma Sangha Noble Eightfold Path Nirvana Middle Way
The Buddha	Tathāgata Birthday Four sights Physical characteristics Footprint Relics Iconography in Laos and Thailand Films Miracles Family Suddhodāna (father) Māyā (mother) Mahapajapati Gotamī (aunt, adoptive mother) Yaśodharā (wife) Rāhula (son) Ānanda (cousin) Devadatta (cousin) Places where the Buddha stayed Buddha in world religions
Bodhisattvas	Avalokiteśvara Guanyin Mañjuśrī Mahāsthāmaprāpta Ākāśagarbha Kṣitigarbha Samantabhadra Vajrapāṇi Skanda Tārā Metteyya/Maitreya
Disciples	Kaundinya Assaji Sāriputta Mahamoggallāna Ānanda Mahākassapa Aṅgulimāla Anuruddha Mahākaccana Nanda Subhūti Punna Upāli Mahapajapati Gotamī Khema Uppalavanna Asita Channa Yasa
Key concepts	Avidyā (Ignorance) Bardo Bodhicitta Buddha-nature Dhamma theory Dharma Enlightenment Five hindrances Indriya Karma Kleshas Mindstream Parinirvana Pratītyasamutpāda Rebirth Saṃsāra Saṅkhāra Skandha Śūnyatā Taṇhā (Craving) Tathātā Ten Fetters Three marks of existence Anicca Dukkha Anatta Two truths doctrine
Cosmology	Ten spiritual realms Six realms Deva realm Human realm Asura realm Hungry Ghost realm Animal realm Naraka Three planes of existence
Branches	Theravada Vajrayana Tibetan Buddhism Shingon Dzogchen Mahayana Zen Chinese Chan Japanese Zen Korean Seon Vietnamese Thiền Pure Land Tiantai Nichiren Madhyamaka Yogachara Navayana Early Buddhist schools Pre-sectarian Buddhism Basic points unifying Theravāda and Mahāyāna
Practices	Bhavana Bodhipakkhiyādhammā Brahmavihara Mettā Karuṇā Mudita Upekkha Buddhābhiṣeka Dāna Devotion Dhyāna Faith Five Strengths Iddhipada Meditation Mantras Kammaṭṭhāna Recollection Smarana Anapanasati Samatha Vipassanā (Vipassana movement) Shikantaza Zazen Koan Ganana Mandala Tonglen Tantra Tertön Terma Merit Mindfulness Mindful Yoga Satipatthana Nekkhamma Pāramitā Paritta Puja Offerings Prostration Chanting Refuge Satya Sacca Seven Factors of Enlightenment Sati Dhamma vicaya Pīti Passaddhi Śīla Five precepts Eight precepts Bodhisattva vow Pratimokṣa Threefold Training Śīla Samadhi Prajñā Vīrya Four Right Exertions
Nirvana	Bodhi Bodhisattva Buddhahood Pratyekabuddha Four stages of enlightenment Sotāpanna Sakadagami Anāgāmi Arhat
Monasticism	Bhikkhu Bhikkhunī Śrāmaṇera Śrāmaṇerī Anagārika Ajahn Sayadaw Zen master Rōshi Lama Rinpoche Geshe Tulku Kappiya Householder Upāsaka and Upāsikā Śrāvaka The ten principal disciples Shaolin Monastery
Major figures	Gautama Buddha Buddhaghosa Nagasena Bodhidharma Nagarjuna Asanga Vasubandhu Buddhapālita Atiśa Padmasambhava Aśvaghoṣa Kumārajīva Nichiren B. R. Ambedkar Songtsen Gampo Emperor Wen of Sui Dalai Lama Panchen Lama Karmapa Shamarpa Naropa Xuanzang Zhiyi
Texts	Early Buddhist Texts Tripiṭaka Mahayana sutras Pāli Canon Chinese Buddhist canon Tibetan Buddhist canon Dhammapada Sutra Vinaya Madhyamakālaṃkāra Abhidharmadīpa
Countries	Afghanistan Bangladesh Bhutan Cambodia China India Indonesia Japan Korea Laos Malaysia Maldives Mongolia Myanmar Nepal Pakistan Philippines Russia Kalmykia Buryatia Singapore Sri Lanka Taiwan Thailand Tibet Vietnam Middle East Iran Western countries Argentina Australia Brazil France United Kingdom United States Venezuela
History	Timeline Ashoka Buddhist councils History of Buddhism in India Decline of Buddhism in India Great Anti-Buddhist Persecution Greco-Buddhism Buddhism and the Roman world Buddhism in the West Silk Road transmission of Buddhism Persecution of Buddhists Banishment of Buddhist monks from Nepal Buddhist crisis Sinhalese Buddhist nationalism Buddhist modernism Vipassana movement 969 Movement Women in Buddhism
Philosophy	Abhidharma Atomism Buddhology Creator Buddhism and democracy Economics Eight Consciousnesses Engaged Buddhism Eschatology Ethics Evolution Humanism Logic Reality Secular Buddhism Socialism The unanswered questions
Culture	Architecture Temple Vihāra Kyaung Wat Ordination hall Stupa Pagoda Burmese pagoda Candi Dzong architecture Japanese Buddhist architecture Korean Buddhist temples Thai temple art and architecture Tibetan Buddhist architecture Art Greco-Buddhist Bodhi Tree Budai Buddharupa Calendar Cuisine Funeral Holidays Vesak Uposatha Māgha Pūjā Asalha Puja Vassa Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi Kasaya Mahabodhi Temple Mantra Om mani padme hum Mudra Music Pilgrimage Lumbini Maya Devi Temple Bodh Gaya Sarnath Kushinagar Poetry Prayer beads Hama Yumi Prayer wheel Symbolism Dharmachakra Flag Bhavacakra Swastika Thangka Temple of the Tooth Vegetarianism
Miscellaneous	Abhijñā Amitābha Brahmā Dharma talk Hinayana Kalpa Koliya Lineage Māra Ṛddhi Siddhi Sacred languages Pāḷi Sanskrit
Comparison	Baháʼí Faith Christianity Influences Comparison East Asian religions Gnosticism Hinduism Jainism Judaism Psychology Science Theosophy Violence Western philosophy
Lists	Bodhisattvas Books Buddhas named Buddhists Suttas Sutras Temples Festivals
Category

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 {{short description|Historical city in Uttar Pradesh, India}}
-{{about|the Indian city|H. P. Lovecraft's fictitious city|The Doom that Came to Sarnath}}
+{{about|the Indian city|H. P. Lovecraft's fictitious city|The Doom That Came to Sarnath}}
-{{Multiple issues|{{Citation style|date=November 2015|details=A lot of cited sources  here need at least a '''full title''' for verifiability}}
-{{Primary sources|date=September 2019}}}}
 {{Use Indian English|date=August 2014}}
 {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2014}}
 {{Infobox settlement
-| name                    = Sarnath
+| name               = Sarnath <br/> <small> सारनाथ</small>
-| settlement_type         = Historical City
+| settlement_type    = Historical City
-| image_skyline           = Dhamek Stupa, Sarnath.jpg
+| image_skyline      = Ancient Buddhist monasteries near Dhamekh Stupa Monument Site, Sarnath.jpg
-| image_alt               =
+| image_caption      = View of Sarnath, looking from the ruins of the ancient Mulagandha Kuty Vihara towards the [[Dhamek Stupa]]
-| image_caption           = The [[Dhamekh Stupa]], Sarnath
+| nickname           = Isipatana
-| nickname                = Isipatana
+| pushpin_map        = India#India Uttar Pradesh
-| map_alt                 =
+| pushpin_relief     = yes
-| map_caption             =
+| pushpin_label_position = left
-| pushpin_map             = India#India Uttar Pradesh
+| coordinates        = {{coord|25.3780|N|83.0251|E|display=inline,title}}
-| pushpin_relief          =yes
+| subdivision_type   = Country
-| pushpin_label_position  = left
+| subdivision_name   = {{flag|India}}
-| pushpin_map_alt         =
+| subdivision_type1  = State
-| pushpin_map_caption     =
+| subdivision_name1  = [[Uttar Pradesh]]
-| coordinates             = {{coord|25.3811|N|83.0214|E|display=inline,title}}
+| subdivision_type2  = District
-| subdivision_type        = Country
+| subdivision_name2  = [[Varanasi district|Varanasi]]
-| subdivision_name        = {{flag|India}}
+| unit_pref          = Metric
-| subdivision_type1       = State
+| population_density_km2 = auto
-| subdivision_name1       = Uttar Pradesh
+| demographics_type1 = Languages
-| subdivision_type2       = District
+| demographics1_title1 = Local
-| subdivision_name2       = [[Varanasi district|Varanasi]]
+| demographics1_info1 = [[Bhojpuri]]
-| unit_pref               = Metric
+| utc_offset1        = +5:30
-| population_density_km2  = auto
-| demographics_type1      = Languages
-| demographics1_title1    = Official
-| demographics1_info1     = Hindi
-| timezone1               = [[Indian Standard Time|IST]]
-| utc_offset1             = +5:30
-| postal_code_type        = <!-- [[Postal Index Number|PIN]] -->
 }}
 {{BuddhasHolySites}}
+{{Buddhist_pilgrimage_sites_in_India.svg}}
 {{buddhism}}
-'''Sarnath''' (Hindustani pronunciation: [[Help:IPA/Hindi and Urdu|[saːɾnaːtʰ]]]) is a place located 10 kilometres north-east of [[Varanasi]] near the confluence of the [[Ganges River|Ganges]] and the [[Varuna River|Varuna]] rivers in [[Uttar Pradesh]], [[India]]. The Deer Park in Sarnath is where [[Gautama Buddha]] first taught the [[Dharma]], and where the Buddhist [[Sangha (Buddhism)|Sangha]] came into existence through the [[Enlightenment (spiritual)|enlightenment]] of [[Kondanna]] ({{lang-sa|Kauṇḍinya}}).
+'''Sarnath''' (also referred to as '''Sarangnath''', '''Isipatana''', '''Rishipattana''', '''Migadaya''', or '''Mrigadava''')<ref name=NRI2022>{{cite web|author=NRI Department, Government of Uttar Pradesh, India|authorlink=Government of Uttar Pradesh|title=About Sarnath|work=Sarnath|publisher=NRI Department, Government of Uttar Pradesh, India|location=Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India|year=2022|url=https://nri.up.gov.in/article/en/sarnath|accessdate=1 January 2023}}</ref> is a place located {{convert|10|km|abbr=off}} northeast of [[Varanasi]], near the confluence of the [[Ganges]] and the [[Varuna River|Varuna]] rivers in [[Uttar Pradesh]], [[India]].
-'''Singhpur''', a village approximately one kilometre away from the site, was the birthplace of [[Shreyansanath]], the Eleventh [[Tirthankara]] of [[Jainism]]. A temple dedicated to him is an important [[Tirtha (Jainism)|pilgrimage site]].
-Also referred to as '''Isipatana''', this city is mentioned by the Buddha as one of the four places of [[Buddhist pilgrimage|pilgrimage]] his devout followers should visit.<ref>(D.ii.141)</ref> It was also the site of the Buddha's [[Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta]], which was his first sermon after attaining enlightenment, in which he explained the [[four noble truths]] and the teachings associated with them.
-==Origin of names==
+Sarnath is where, circa 528 [[Common Era|BCE]], at 35 years of age, [[The Buddha|Gautama Buddha]] taught [[Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta|his first sermon]] after attaining [[Enlightenment in Buddhism|enlightenment]] at [[Bodh Gaya]].{{sfn|Sahni|1914|p=2}} It is also where the Buddhist ''[[sangha]]'' first came into existence as a result of the enlightenment of his first five disciples ([[Kaundinya]], [[Assaji]], Bhaddiya, Vappa and Mahanama).<ref name=buddhanet>{{cite web|author=BuddhaNet|title=The First Five Monks|work=Life of the Buddha|publisher=Buddha Dharma Education Association Inc.|location=Tullera, NSW, Australia|year=2008|url=https://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/buddhism/lifebuddha/18lbud.htm|accessdate=1 January 2023}}</ref> According to the ''[[Mahāparinibbāṇa Sutta|Mahaparinibbana Sutta]]'' (''[[Sutra|Sutta]]'' 16 of the ''[[Dīgha Nikāya|Digha Nikaya]]''), the Buddha mentioned Sarnath as one of the [[Buddhist pilgrimage sites|four places of pilgrimage]] his devout followers should visit and look upon with [[Saṃvega|feelings of reverence]]. The other three sites are [[Lumbini]] (the birthplace of the Buddha), Bodh Gaya (where the Buddha achieved enlightenment), and [[Kushinagar]] (where the Buddha attained ''[[parinirvana]]'').<ref name=Thanissaro1998>{{cite web|translator-last=Bhikkhu|translator-first=Thanissaro|translator-link=Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu|title=Maha-parinibbana Sutta: The Great Discourse on the Total Unbinding (excerpt)|work=[[Access to Insight]]|publisher=Barre Center for Buddhist Studies|location=Barre, Massachusetts|year=1998|url=https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/dn/dn.16.5-6.than.html#pilgrim|accessdate=1 January 2023}}</ref><ref name=Vajira&Story1998>{{cite web|translator-last1=Vajira|translator-first1=Sister|translator-link1=Sister Vajirā|translator-last2=Story|translator-first2=Francis|title=Maha-parinibbana Sutta: Last Days of the Buddha (Part Five)|work=[[Access to Insight]]|publisher=Barre Center for Buddhist Studies|location=Barre, Massachusetts|year=1998|url=https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/dn/dn.16.1-6.vaji.html#chap5|accessdate=1 January 2023}}</ref>
-Sarnath has been variously known as Mrigadava, Migadāya, Rishipattana and Isipatana throughout its long history. ''Mrigadava'' means "deer-park". "Isipatana" is the name used in the [[Pali Canon]], and means the place where holy men (Pali: ''isi'', Sanskrit: ''rishi'') landed.<ref name=remains>{{cite book|title=Buddhist remains in India|first=Dr. A.|last=Sen|publisher=Maha Bodhi Book Agency|location=Calcutta|year=2008|isbn=978-81-87032-78-6|pages=30–34}}</ref>
-The legend says that when the Buddha-to-be was born, some [[Deva (Buddhism)|deva]]s came down to announce it to 500 rishis. Another explanation for the name is that Isipatana was so-called because, sages, on their way through the air (from the Himalayas), alight here or start from here on their aerial flight. Pacceka Buddhas, having spent seven days in contemplation in the Gandhamādana, bathe in the Anotatta Lake and come to the habitations of men through the air, in search of alms. They descend to eartPacceka Buddhas come to Isipatana from Nandamūlaka-pabbhāra.<ref>(MA.ii.1019; PsA.437-8)</ref>
+==Etymology==
+The name ''Sarnath'' derives from the [[Sanskrit]] word {{IAST|Sāranganātha}} (or ''Sārangnāth'' in the [[Pali|Pali language]]),<ref name=NRI2022/> which translates to "Lord of the Deer" in the English language.{{sfn|Schumann|2004|p=67}} The name refers to an [[Buddhist mythology|ancient Buddhist legend]], in which the [[Bodhisattva]] was a deer and offered his life to a king instead of the doe the king was planning to kill. The king was so moved that he created the park as a deer sanctuary.<ref name=BDEA113>{{cite web|author=BuddhaNet|title=Buddha Tales, Volume 1|work=King Banyan Deer|publisher=Buddha Dharma Education Association Inc.|location=Tullera, NSW, Australia|year=2008|url=http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/buddhism/bt1_13.htm|accessdate=3 January 2023}}</ref> The term for "deer park" is {{IAST|Mriga-dāva}} in Sanskrit, or ''Miga-dāya'' in the Pali language.{{sfn|Sahni|1914|p=1}}
-[[Xuanzang]] quotes the Nigrodhamiga Jātaka (J.i.145ff) to account for the origin of the Migadāya. According to him, the Deer Park was a forest given by the king of Benares of the Jātaka, where deer might wander unmolested. The Migadāya was so-called because deer were allowed to roam about there unmolested.
+''Isipatana'' is another name used to refer to Sarnath in Pali, the language of the [[Pali Canon]]. This name corresponds to the name {{IAST|Rishipattana}} in the Sanskrit language.
+The terms ''isi'' (Pali) and {{IAST|[[rishi]]}} (Sanskrit) refer to an accomplished and enlightened person. ''Isipatana'' and {{IAST|Rishipattana}} therefore translate to "the place where holy men descended",{{sfn|Sarao|2017|p=581}} or "the hill of the fallen sages".{{sfn|Asher|2020|p=1}}
-''Sarnath'' derives from the Sanskrit ''Sāranganātha'',<ref>{{cite book|title=The Historical Buddha: The Times, Life, and Teachings of the Founder of Buddhism|first= Hans Wolfgang |last=Schuman|publisher= Motilal Banarsidass|year=2004| page= 67}}</ref> which means "Lord of the Deer", and relates to another old Buddhist story in which the [[Bodhisattva]] is a deer and offers his life to a king instead of the doe the latter is planning to kill. The king is so moved that he creates the park as a sanctuary for deer. The park is active in modern times.
 ==History==
-{{Buddhist_pilgrimage_sites_in_India.svg}}
+===5th century BCE – 6th century CE===
+Buddhism flourished in Sarnath during the [[History of India#Second urbanisation (c. 600 – 200 BCE)|second urbanisation]] (c. 600 – 200 BCE, from the time of the [[Mahajanapadas]] through the [[Nanda Empire|Nanda]] and [[Maurya Empire|Maurya]] periods), in part because of patronage from kings and wealthy merchants based in [[Varanasi]]. By the 3rd century CE, Sarnath had become an important centre for the Sammatiya school of Buddhism (one of the [[early Buddhist schools]]), as well as for art and architecture. However, the presence of images of [[Heruka]] and [[Tara (Mahavidya)|Tara]] indicate that [[Vajrayana]] Buddhism was (at a later time) also practised here. Also, images of Hindu gods as [[Shiva]] and [[Brahma]] were found at the site, and a Jain temple was located very close to the [[Dhamek Stupa]].{{citation needed|date=January 2023}}
-===Gautama Buddha at Isipatana===
+Buddhism further expanded in India during the [[Gupta Empire|Gupta]] (4th to 6th centuries) period. [[Faxian]] was a Chinese Buddhist monk who traveled extensively throughout northern India from 400–411 CE. In his description of Sarnath, he mentioned seeing four large towers and two [[Vihāra|viharas]] with monks residing in them.{{citation needed|date=January 2023}}
-[[File:Gautama Buddha teaching his first sermon in the Deer Park, Sarnath. Wall painting Manali.jpg|thumb|Gautama Buddha teaching his first sermon in the Deer Park, Sarnath. Wall painting [[Manali, Himachal Pradesh|Manali]]]]
-Before Gautama (the Buddha-to-be) attained enlightenment, he gave up his austere penances and his friends, the Pañcavaggiya monks.<ref>J.i.68</ref> Seven weeks after his enlightenment under the Bodhi tree in [[Bodh Gaya]], [[Gautama Buddha|Buddha]] left [[Uruvela]] and travelled to Isipatana to rejoin them because, using his spiritual powers, he had seen that his five former companions would be able to understand Dharma quickly. While travelling to Sarnath, Gautama Buddha had no money to pay the ferryman to cross the [[Ganges]], so he crossed it through the air. {{citation needed|date=June 2017}} Later when King [[Bimbisara|Bimbisāra]] heard of this, he abolished the toll for [[ascetic]]s. Gautama Buddha found his five former companions and enlightened them with the teachings of the Dharma. At that time, the [[Sangha (Buddhism)|Sangha]], the community of the enlightened ones, was founded. The sermon, Buddha gave to the five monks, was his first sermon, called the [[Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta]]. It was given on the full-moon day of [[Asalha Puja]].<ref>Vin.i.10f.; on this occasion, 80 kotis of Brahmas and innumerable gods attained the comprehension of the Truth (Mil.30); (130 kotis says Mil.350). The Lal. (528) gives details of the stages of this journey.</ref> Buddha subsequently also spent his first [[vassa|rainy season]] at Sarnath<ref>BuA., p.3</ref> at the [[Mulagandhakuti]]. By then, the Sangha had grown to 60 in number (after [[Yasa]] and his friends had become monks), and so Buddha sent them out in all directions to travel alone and teach the Dharma. All 60 monks were [[Arahant|Arhat]]s.
-Several other incidents connected with the Buddha, besides the preaching of the first sermon, are mentioned as having taken place in Isipatana. It was here when one day, at dawn, [[Yasa]] came to the Buddha and became an [[Arahant|Arhat]].<ref>Vin.i.15f</ref> It was at Isipatana, too, that the rule was passed, prohibiting the use of sandals made of talipot leaves.<ref>Vin.i.189</ref> On another occasion when the Buddha was staying at Isipatana, having gone there from [[Rajgir|Rājagaha]], he instituted rules forbidding the use of certain kinds of flesh, including human flesh.<ref>Vin.i.216ff.; the rule regarding human flesh was necessary because Suppiyā made broth out of her own flesh for a sick monk.</ref> Twice, while the Buddha was at Isipatana, [[Mara (demon)|Māra]] visited him but had to go away discomfited.<ref>S.i.105f</ref>
+===6th century – 8th century===
+The influence of Buddhism continued to grow during the [[Later Gupta dynasty|Later Gupta]] (6th–8th centuries). When [[Xuanzang]] visited Sarnath around 640 CE, he reported seeing hundreds of small shrines and votive stupas, and a vihara some {{convert|61|m|ft|abbr=off}} in height containing a large statue of the Buddha.{{sfn|Oertel|1908|pp=60-61}} Xuanzang also wrote that "There are about 1500 priests here, who study the [[Hinayana|Little Vehicle]] according to [[Pudgalavada#Saṃmitīya and other sub-schools|the Sammatiya school]].{{sfn|Li|1914|pp=98-100}} In his writings, Xuanzang mentioned a [[Pillars of Ashoka|pillar constructed by Ashoka]] near a stupa that marked the location where the Buddha set [[Dharmachakra|the wheel of the law]] in motion.{{sfn|Asher|2020|p=9}}
-[[File:Gautama Buddha first sermon in Sarnath.jpg|250px|right|thumb|[[Gandhara]] [[Greco-Buddhist]] sculpture of [[Gautama Buddha]] delivering his first sermon in the deer park at Sarnath. He preached the [[Four Noble Truths]], the middle path and the [[Eightfold Path]]. In the statue, he is seated in [[Lotus position|Padmasana]] with his right hand turning the [[Dharmachakra]], resting on a [[Triratna]] symbol, flanked on either side by a deer. He is surrounded by five [[Bhikkhus]] with shaven heads. In the background, [[Vajrapani]] and other attendants, including probable princes, are seen. Statue on display at the [[Prince of Wales museum]].]]
+===8th century – 12th century===
+During the [[Pala Empire|Pala]] (8th–11th centuries) period, the rulers built new ''[[mahavihara]]s'' such as [[Odantapuri]], [[Somapura Mahavihara|Somapura]], [[Jagaddala Mahavihara|Jagaddala]], and [[Vikramashila]] and patronised existing ones such as [[Nalanda]] and Sarnath. During this time, Buddhist pilgrims and monks from all over Asia traveled to Sarnath to meditate and study. The Palas were the last major Buddhist dynasty to rule in the Indian subcontinent. They were replaced by the [[Gahadavala dynasty]], whose capital was located at Varanasi.{{citation needed|date=January 2023}}
-Besides the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta mentioned above, several other suttas were preached by the Buddha while staying at Isipatana, among them
+Although the Gahadavala kings were Hindu, they were tolerant of Buddhism. Inscriptions unearthed at Sarnath in the early 20th century indicate that some of the monasteries there enjoyed royal patronage from the Gahadavala rulers. For example, in a mid-12th-century inscription attributed to Queen Kumaradevi (consort of [[Govindachandra (Gahadavala dynasty)|King Govindachandra]]), she takes credit for the construction or restoration of a [[Vihāra|living quarters for monks]].{{sfn|Konow|1908|pp=320, 327-8}} It is widely asserted that the structure referred to in the Kumaradevi inscription is the Dharma Chakra Jina Vihar, but the evidence for this is inconclusive. Whatever the case, it is likely to be among the last structures to be built at Sarnath prior to its destruction in 1194.{{sfn|Asher|2020|pp=6-8}} The inscription, excavated at Sarnath in March 1908,{{sfn|Konow|1908|p=319}} is currently maintained at the [[Sarnath Museum|Sarnath Archeological Museum]].<ref name=ASI2013>{{cite web|author=Archaeological Survey of India|authorlink=Archaeological Survey of India|title=Accession Number: 33 (Kumaradevi inscription)|work=Archaeological Museum Sarnath|publisher=[[Archaeological Survey of India]] - Sarnath Circle|location=Sarnath, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh|year=2013|url=http://www.sarnathmuseumasi.org/gallery/Gallery2%20Acc%20No%2033.html|accessdate=2 January 2023}}</ref>
-* the Saccavibhanga Sutta,
+===Late 12th century: the destruction of Sarnath===
-* the Pañca Sutta (S.iii.66f), most popularly known by the somewhat misleading title the [[Anattalakkhana Sutta]]
+Along with Sarnath (which is located in present-day [[Uttar Pradesh]]), the most important Buddhist ''[[mahavihara]]s'' in India were [[Vikramashila]], [[Odantapuri]], and [[Nalanda]] (all located in present-day [[Bihar]]). All four of these centres of learning continued to thrive throughout the 12th century, probably because of the protection, support and tolerance demonstrated by the Pala and Gahadavala rulers. For example, the Kumaradevi inscription mentions that King Govindachandra had protected Varanasi from invasions by the [[Ghaznavids]] (which the inscription refers to as ''[[Turushka dynasty|Turushkas]]'') in the early to mid-12th century.{{sfn|Konow|1908|pp=321, 327}} Apart from [[North India]], Buddhism [[decline of Buddhism in the Indian subcontinent|had been declining]] throughout the Indian subcontinent and had virtually disappeared by the 11th century.{{citation needed|date=January 2023}}
-* the Rathakāra or Pacetana Sutta (A.i.110f),
-* the two Pāsa Suttas (S.i.105f),
-* the Samaya Sutta (A.iii.320ff),
-* the Katuviya Sutta (A.i.279f.),
-* a discourse on the Metteyyapañha of the Parāyana (A.iii.399f), and
-* the Dhammadinna Sutta (S.v.406f), preached by the distinguished [[Bhikkhuni]] Dhammadinna to her former husband.
-Some of the most eminent members of the Sangha seem to have resided at Isipatana from time to time; among recorded conversations at Isipatana are several between [[Sariputta]] and [[Mahakotthita]],<ref>S.ii.112f;iii.167f;iv.162f; 384ff</ref> and one between Mahākotthita and [[Citta-Hatthisariputta]].<ref>(A.iii.392f)</ref> There is also a mention of a discourse in which several monks staying at Isipatana tried to help [[Channa]] in his difficulties.<ref>S.iii.132f</ref>
+[[Muslim conquests in the Indian subcontinent|Islamic invasions]] in the late 12th century brought massive plunder and destruction to northern India. Most notable among these were the [[Indian campaigns of Muhammad of Ghor|military campaigns]] of [[Muhammad of Ghor]], the [[Ghurid dynasty|Ghurid]] ruler from [[Ghazni]] (which is in present-day Afghanistan). [[Qutb ud-Din Aibak|Qutbuddin Aibek]] — the [[Turkic peoples|Turkic]] commander of [[Muhammad of Ghor]]'s army — led an army from [[Ghazni]] to Varanasi and Sarnath in 1194 CE.<ref>{{harvnb|Habib|1981|p=116}} Quote: "In the winter of A.D. 1194-1195 Shihabuddin once more marched into Hindustan and invaded the Doab. Rai Jai Chand moved forward to meet him and came face to face with Qutbuddin Aibek, who was leading the vanguard of the invading army.... Shihabuddin captured the treasure fort of Asni and then proceeded to Banares, where he converted about a thousand idol-temples into houses for the Musalmans".</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Chandra|2007}} Quote: "In 1194, Muizzuddin returned to India. He crossed the Jamuna with 50,000 cavalry and moved towards Kanauj. A hotly contested battle between Muizzuddin and Jaichandra was fought at Chandawar near Kanauj. We are told that Jaichandra had almost carried the day when he was killed by an arrow, and his army was totally defeated. Muizzuddin now moved on to Banaras which was ravaged, a large number of temples there being destroyed".</ref> [[Jayachandra|Rai Jai Chand]] (c. 1170–1194 CE, the reigning [[Gahadavala dynasty]] king at that time) was killed during the [[Battle of Chandawar]],<ref>{{harvnb|Khan|2008|p=80}} Quote: "Jaichandra was defeated and killed by Muhammad Ghauri at Chanwar (40 kilometers east of Agra) in 1193".</ref> and virtually everything of value in Varanasi and Sarnath was destroyed or plundered. Qutbuddin Aibek reportedly carted away some 1400 camel loads of treasure.{{sfn|Asher|2020|p=11}} According to the 13th-century Persian historian [[Hasan Nizami]], "nearly 1000 temples were destroyed and mosques were raised on their foundations, the [[Rai (title)|Rais]] and chiefs of Hind came forward to proffer their allegiance [to the Ghurids]".{{sfn|Niyogi|1959|p=111}}
-According to the Udapāna Jātaka, there was a very ancient well near Isipatana which, in the Buddha's time, was used by the monks living there.
+While Qutbuddin Aibek destroyed Sarnath, it was the troops of [[Muhammad Bakhtiyar Khalji|Bakhtiyar Khalji]]—another of Muhammad of Ghor's slave generals—that finished the job. They destroyed Vikramashila in 1193, Odantapuri in 1197, and Nalanda in 1200.{{sfn|Meston|1915|p=169}} The Buddhists who survived this genocide in northern India fled to [[Nepal]], [[Sikkim]], [[Tibet]],{{sfn|Sanyal|2012|pp=130-1}} or [[South India]]. By the end of the 12th century, Buddhism had effectively disappeared from the Indian subcontinent, except for these areas.{{citation needed|date=January 2023}}
-===Isipatana after the Buddha===
+===18th century: rediscovery and looting===
-According to the [[Mahavamsa]], there was a large community of monks at Isipatana in the second century B.C. for, we are told that at the foundation ceremony of the [[Maha Thupa|Mahā Thūpa]] in [[Anuradhapura|Anurādhapura]], twelve thousand monks were present from Isipatana led by the Elder Dhammasena.<ref>Mhv.xxix.31</ref>
+Very few Buddhists remained in India after their [[Persecution of Buddhists#Persecutions by Muslim Empires|persecution and expulsion]] at the end of the 12th century by the Ghurids. Buddhists from Tibet, Burma, and Southeast Asia continued to make pilgrimages to South Asia from the 13th to the 17th centuries, but their most common destination was [[Bodh Gaya]] and not Sarnath.{{sfn|Asher|2020|pp=21-22}} Sarnath continued to be a place of pilgrimage for Jains, however. A 17th-century [[Jain literature|Jain manuscript]] written in 1612 CE (the ''[[Vividha Tirtha Kalpa|Tirthakalpa]]'', by Jinaprabha Suri) describes a Jain temple in Varanasi as being located close to "a famous Bodisattva sanctuary" at a place called ''dharmeksā''. This Sanskrit word translates to "pondering of the law", and clearly refers to the Dhamek Stupa.{{sfn|Oertel|1908|p=60}}
-Xuanzang,<ref>[[Samuel Beal|Beal]]: Records of the Western World, ii.45ff</ref> a Chinese [[Bhikkhu|Buddhist monk]], who travelled to [[India]] in the seventh century, found fifteen hundred monks studying the Hīnayāna at the Isipatana.
+India experienced an increase in visitation by European people in the late 18th century. In 1778, [[William Hodges]] became possibly the first British [[Landscape painting|landscape painter]] to visit India.<ref name=Nevile2009>{{cite news|author=Pran Nevile|title=India's past on canvas|newspaper=[[The Tribune (Chandigarh)|The Tribune]]|publisher=Tribune Trust|location=Chandigarh|date=3 May 2009|url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/2009/20090503/spectrum/main1.htm|access-date=2 January 2023}}</ref> While there, he made careful observations of the art and architecture he encountered. He published an illustrated book about his travels in India in 1794. In his book, he described mosques and other Islamic architecture, Hindu temples, and [[Classical order|Greek-inspired columns]].{{sfn|Hodges|1794|pp=59-77}} Hodges also briefly described the [[Dhamek Stupa]], although he mistook it to be a ruined Hindu temple.<ref>{{harvnb|Hodges|1794|p=62}} Quote: "Surrounding the city are many ruins of buildings, the effects of Mahomedan intolerance. One is a large circular edifice, having evidently been a Hindoo temple, or part of one; there are still vestiges of some of the ornaments; and on one part I found the Grecian scroll".</ref>{{sfn|Ray|2014|pp=78-79}}
-In the enclosure of the Sanghārāma was a vihāra about 60&nbsp;m (200 feet) high, strongly built, its roof surmounted by a golden figure of the mango. In the centre of the vihāra was a life-size statue of the Buddha turning the wheel of the Law and to the south-west were the remains of a stone [[stupa]] built by King [[Asoka|Ashoka]]. In front of it was a stone pillar to mark the spot where the Buddha preached his first sermon. Nearby was another stupa on the site where the Pañcavaggiyas spent their time in meditation before the Buddha's arrival, and another where five hundred [[Pacceka Buddha]]s entered [[Nibbana|Nibbāna]]. Close to it was another building where the future [[Maitreya|Buddha Metteyya]] received assurance of his becoming a Buddha.
+In what is the first incontrovertible modern reference to the ruins at Sarnath, [[Jonathan Duncan (Governor of Bombay)|Jonathan Duncan]] (a charter member of the [[The Asiatic Society|Asiatic Society]] and later [[List of governors of Bombay Presidency|Governor of Bombay]]) described the discovery of a green marble [[reliquary]] encased in a sandstone box in the relic chamber of a brick stupa at that location. The reliquary was discovered in January 1794, during the dismantling of a stupa (referred to by [[Alexander Cunningham]] as stupa "K" or the "Jagat Singh stupa",{{sfn|Oertel|1908|p=65}} later identified as the Dharmarajika Stupa)<ref name=ASI2014>{{cite web|author=Archaeological Survey of India|authorlink=Archaeological Survey of India|title=Dhamek Stupa|work=Our Monuments|publisher=[[Archaeological Survey of India]] - Sarnath Circle|location=Sarnath, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh|year=2014|url=https://www.asisarnathcircle.org/dhamek-stupa.php|accessdate=1 January 2023}}</ref> by employees of [[Zamindar]] Jagat Singh (the [[dewan]] of [[Maharaja Chait Singh]], the [[Narayan dynasty|Raja of Benares]]).{{sfn|Oertel|1908|pp=61-62}} Duncan published his observations in 1799.{{sfn|Duncan|1799|pp=131-133}}{{sfn|Cunningham|1871|pp=118-119}}{{sfn|Asher|2020|p=22}} The reliquary contained a few bones and some pearls, which were subsequently thrown into the [[Ganges|Ganges river]].{{sfn|Sahni|1917|pp=17–20}} The reliquary itself has also disappeared, although the outer sandstone box was replaced in the relic chamber, where it was rediscovered by Cunningham in 1835.{{sfn|Oertel|1908|pp=61-62}} The bricks of the stupa were hauled off and used for the construction of the market in [[Jagatganj]], Varanasi.{{sfn|Sherring|1868|p=26}} Jagat Singh and his crew also removed a large part of the facing of the Dhamek Stupa, and removed several Buddha statues which he retained at his house in Jagatganj.{{sfn|Oertel|1908|pp=62-64}}
-The Divy. (389-94) mentions Ashoka as intimating to Upagupta, his desire to visit the places connected with the Buddha's activities and to erect stupas there. Thus he visited [[Lumbini|Lumbinī]], [[Bodhimula|Bodhimūla]], Isipatana, Migadāya and [[Kusinagara]]; this is confirmed by Ashoka's lithic records, e.g. Rock Edict, viii.
+===19th century: more looting and early archeological excavations===
+The next modern description of Sarnath was by [[Francis Buchanan-Hamilton]], who visited the site around 1813. He drew a crude map of the site—which he called Buddha Kashi—at that time.{{sfn|Asher|2020|pp=12-13}} [[Colin Mackenzie]] was an officer in the [[East India Company|British East India Company]] who later became the first [[Surveyor General of India]]. Visiting Sarnath in 1815, he was the first to describe a dedicated exploration of the ruins.{{sfn|Oertel|1908|pp=61-62}} Throughout the early 19th century, amateur archeologists explored and excavated at Sarnath, removing antiquities, and several artists drew sketches of the site (especially of the Dhamek Stupa).{{sfn|Asher|2020|pp=14-15}}
-[[File:Bala_Bodhisattva_with_shaft_and_umbrella.jpg|thumb|left|The [[Sarnath Bala Boddhisattva|Bala Boddhisattva]], an important statue for dating Indian art, was dedicated in "the year 3 of [[Kanishka]]" (circa 123 CE) and was discovered at Sarnath.]]
+In 1835–1836, a 21-year-old British Army engineer with the [[Bengal Engineer Group]] named [[Alexander Cunningham]] conducted the first systematic archaeological excavations at Sarnath.{{sfn|Asher|2020|p=23}} He had carefully studied the writings of [[Faxian]] and [[Xuanzang]], two Chinese Buddhist monks who traveled extensively throughout northern India in the early 5th and early 7th centuries, respectively. Based on their writings and those of Duncan, he conducted some careful measurements and excavations at Sarnath in 1835–1836. During the course of these excavations, Cunningham discovered and removed many statues from monastery "L" and temple "M", as well as the sandstone box reported by Duncan from the Dharmarajika Stupa. He presented these items to the [[The Asiatic Society|Asiatic Society of Bengal]], and they are now located in the [[Indian Museum, Kolkata|Indian Museum in Kolkata]].{{sfn|Oertel|1908|pp=61-62}} By 1836, Cunningham had conclusively identified Sarnath as the location of [[Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta|the Buddha's first sermon]].{{sfn|Cunningham|1871|pp=103-130}}{{sfn|Asher|2020|p=12}} In 1861, Cunningham became the founder and first Director-General of the [[Archaeological Survey of India]].
-Buddhism flourished in Sarnath because of kings and wealthy merchants based in [[Varanasi]]. By the third century, Sarnath had become an important centre for the arts, which reached its zenith during the [[Gupta Empire|Gupta]] period (4th to 6th centuries CE). In the 7th century by the time [[Xuanzang]] visited from China, he found 30 monasteries and 3000 monks living at Sarnath.<ref>{{cite book|title=The Top Ten Temple Towns of India|publisher=Mark Age Publication|first=S.C.|last=Karkar|location=Kolkota|isbn=978-81-87952-12-1|year=2009|page=14}}</ref>
-Sarnath became a major centre of the [[Early Buddhist schools|Sammatiya]] school of Buddhism, one of the [[early Buddhist schools]]. However, the presence of images of [[Heruka]] and [[Tara (Devi)|Tara]] indicate that [[Vajrayana]] Buddhism was (at a later time) also practised here. Also, images of Brahminist gods as [[Shiva]] and [[Brahma]] were found at the site, and there is still a [[Jain]] temple (at Chandrapuri) located very close to the [[Dhamekh Stupa]].
+In 1851–1852, Markham Kittoe (1808–1853) conducted further excavations at Sarnath. Kittoe noted the presence of four stupas at Sarnath and excavated a structure he described as a hospital, which was located roughly midway between the Dhamek and Jagat Singh stupas.{{sfn|Asher|2020|pp=27-28}} He also recovered a seated Buddha statue from Jagat Singh's house and transcribed its inscription.{{sfn|Asher|2020|p=24}} In his writings, Kittoe speculated that Sarnath was destroyed as a result of a great fire.{{sfn|Asher|2020|p=27}}
-Kumaradevi, the Gahadvala queen, constructed the last structures at Sarnath. In 1193, her grandson, [[Jaichand of Kannauj]] was defeated by [[Qutb al-Din Aibak]], a general of  [[Muhammad Ghori]]. At the end of the 12th century, Sarnath was sacked by Turkish Muslims, and the site was subsequently plundered for building materials.
+Sometime in the mid-19th century, Sarnath was subjected to further depredations, as 48 statues and a tremendous amount of bricks and stones were removed from the historic site to be used in the construction of two bridges over the [[Varuna River]].<ref>{{harvnb|Sherring|1868|p=25}} Quote: "...in the erection of the bridges over the river Barna, forty-eight statues and other sculptured stones were removed from Sarnath and thrown into the river, to serve as a breakwater to the piers; and that, in the erection of the second bridge, the iron one, from fifty to sixty cart-loads of stones from the Sarnath buildings were employed".</ref> A final instance of despoilation occurred around 1898, when many bricks and stones were removed from Sarnath and used as ballast for a narrow-gauge railway that was under construction at that time.{{sfn|Oertel|1908|p=64}}
-===Discovery of Isipatana===
+===20th century: extensive excavations and restoration===
-Isipatana is identified with the modern Sarnath, 9.7&nbsp;km (6&nbsp;mi.) from Varanasi. [[Alexander Cunningham]]<ref>Arch. Reports, i. p. 107</ref> found the Migadāya represented by a fine wood, covering an area of about 800&nbsp;m (half a mile), extending from the great tomb of [[Dhamek Stupa|Dhamekha]] on the north to the [[Chaukhandi Stupa|Chaukundi]] mound on the south.
+[[File:Plan of excavation Sarnath.jpg|thumb|left|[[F. O. Oertel|Friedrich Oertel]]'s plan of excavation. The [[Lion Capital of Ashoka|lion capital]] was found in 1905 to the west of the main shrine, which is to the north of the "Jagat Singh" stupa.]]
+[[F. O. Oertel|Friedrich Oertel]] conducted extensive excavations in 1904-1905. His team focused on the area near stupa "J" (the [[Dhamek Stupa]]), stupa "K" ("Jagat Singh stupa", now known as the Dharmarajika Stupa), monastery "L", temple "M", hospital "N", monastery "O", and the [[Pillars of Ashoka|Ashokan pillar]]. In March 1905, the team exhumed parts of the base and shaft of the pillar with its [[:Commons:Category:Schism Edict of Ashoka|Schism]] [[Edicts of Ashoka|Edict]], [[Lion Capital of Ashoka|lion capital]], and remnants of the ''[[dharmachakra]]'' sculpture.{{sfn|Oertel|1908|pp=68-70}} Dating to c. 241-233 BCE,{{sfn|Phuoc|2010|p=38}} these are the oldest and most important relics discovered at Sarnath thus far.{{sfn|Sahni|1914|p=2}} [[J. Ph. Vogel]] translated the inscription—which was written in the [[Brahmi script|Brahmi]] of the [[Maurya Empire|Maurya period]]-and tentatively dated it to 249 BCE.{{sfn|Vogel|1906|pp=166-167}}
-===Legendary characteristics of Isipatana===
+==Present day: archaeological ruins==
-According to the Buddhist [[atthakatha|commentarial scriptures]], all the [[List of the twenty-eight Buddhas|Buddhas]] preach their first sermon at the Migadāya in Isipatana. It is one of the four [[avijahitatthanani|avijahitatthānāni]] (unchanging spots), the others being the [[bodhi-pallanka]], the spot at the gate of [[Sankassa]], where the Buddha first touched the earth on his return from [[Tavatimsa|Tāvatimsa]], and the site of the bed in the [[Gandhakuti]] in [[Jetavana]]<ref>(BuA.247; DA.ii.424).</ref>
+<!--add details of 21st century Archaeological Survey of India excavations (https://www.asisarnathcircle.org/excavation-exploration.php) here-->
+According to the ''[[Mahāparinibbāṇa Sutta|Mahaparinibbana Sutta]]'' (''[[Sutra|Sutta]]'' 16 of the ''[[Dīgha Nikāya|Digha Nikaya]]''), the Buddha mentioned Sarnath as one of the [[Buddhist pilgrimage sites|four places of pilgrimage]] his devout followers should visit and look upon with [[Saṃvega|feelings of reverence]].<ref name=Thanissaro1998/><ref name=Vajira&Story1998/> [[Company rule in India|Beginning in the late 18th century]], ancient sites such as Sarnath have been subjected to extensive archaeological study and restoration. Consequently, Sarnath has regained its former status as a place of pilgrimage, both for Buddhists and [[Tirtha (Jainism)|Jains]]. In 1998, Sarnath was [[List of World Heritage Sites in India#Tentative list|nominated for inclusion]] on the [[UNESCO|United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization]] (UNESCO) list of [[World Heritage Site]]s of outstanding universal value to [[cultural heritage]]. The nomination comprises two groups of monuments: group "A" is represented by the [[Chaukhandi Stupa]], while all other monuments (e.g., temples, stupas, monasteries, and the pillar of Ashoka) are included as part of group "B".<ref name=UNESCO>{{cite web|author=UNESCO World Heritage Centre|authorlink=World Heritage Centre|title=Ancient Buddhist Site, Sarnath, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh|work=Tentative Lists|publisher=[[World Heritage Centre|UNESCO World Heritage Centre]]|location=Paris|year=2023|url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/1096/|accessdate=1 January 2023}}</ref> Sites of greatest importance to Buddhist pilgrims include:
+* The [[Dhamek Stupa]] is an impressive structure, {{convert|39|m|abbr=off}} high and {{convert|28|m|abbr=off}} in diameter.{{citation needed|date=January 2023}}
+* The Dharmarajika Stupa is one of the few [[Ashoka|pre-Ashokan]] stupas remaining at Sarnath, although only the foundations remain. It has been the subject of extensive depredations and archaeological excavations, from the late 18th through the early 20th century.{{sfn|Oertel|1908|pp=61-68}}
+* The [[Pillars of Ashoka|Ashokan pillar]] erected here was broken during the invasions of the 12th century but many of the pieces remain at the original location. The pillar was originally surmounted by the [[Lion Capital of Ashoka]], which in turn served as the base of a large 32-spoke sandstone [[dharmachakra|wheel of dharma]]. The lion capital and the wheel of dharma, presently on display at the [[Sarnath Museum|Sarnath Archeological Museum]], now symbolize the modern state of India. Both of these appear on the emblem of the [[Supreme Court of India]],<ref>{{harvnb|Wagner|2021|p=406}} Quote: "A slightly different (32-spoke) version of the same wheel adorns the logo of the Supreme Court of India as a visual declaration of righteousness, authority and truth....".</ref> and the wheel of dharma is incorporated in the [[flag of India]].{{sfn|Sadan|2016|p=177}}
+* The ruins of the ancient Mulagandha Kuty Vihara mark the place where the Buddha spent his first rainy season. This was the main temple marked by the presence of the Ashokan pillar at the front. The 5th-century CE sandstone sculpture of ''[[Buddha Preaching his First Sermon (Sarnath)|Buddha Preaching his First Sermon]]'' was found in the vicinity.{{citation needed|date=January 2023}}
+* The Dharma Chakra Jina Vihar, a massive monastery and [[Vihāra|living quarters for monks]] believed to have been constructed or restored in the mid-12th century at the behest of Kumaradevi, a wife of [[Govindachandra (Gahadavala dynasty)|Govindachandra]] (c. 1114–1155 CE).{{sfn|Konow|1908|pp=320, 327-8}}
+* The [[Chaukhandi Stupa]] commemorates the spot where the Buddha met up with his first five disciples ([[Kaundinya]], [[Assaji]], Bhaddiya, Vappa and Mahanama). Located {{convert|0.8|km|abbr=off}} south of Dhamek Stupa, it is capped with an octagonal brick tower. The tower was erected as a memorial to [[Humayun|Emperor Humayun]] by his son [[Akbar]] in 1588 CE.{{sfn|Oertel|1908|p=74}}
+* The Sarnath Archeological Museum houses the famous Lion Capital of Ashoka, which miraculously survived its 45-foot drop to the ground (from the top of the Ashokan pillar), and became the [[State Emblem of India]] and national symbol on the flag of India. The museum also houses the original 5th-century CE sandstone sculpture of ''[[Buddha Preaching his First Sermon (Sarnath)|Buddha Preaching his First Sermon]]'', as well as the Kumaradevi inscription.<ref name=ASI2013/>
-In past ages, Isipatana sometimes retained its own name, as it did in the time of [[Phussa Buddha]], [[Dhammadassī Buddha]] and [[Kassapa Buddha]]. Kassapa was born there. But more often Isipatana was known by different names (for these names see under those of the different Buddhas). Thus in the time of [[Vipassī Buddha]], it was known as Khema-uyyāna. It is the custom for all Buddhas to go through the air to Isipatana to preach their first sermon. Gautama Buddha, however, walked all the way, eighteen leagues, because he knew that by so doing he would meet [[Upaka]], the [[Ajivaka]], to whom he could be of service.<ref>DA.ii.471)</ref>
+==Modern places of worship==
+In addition to the archaeological ruins, there are a number of other pilgrimage sites and places of worship in Sarnath. Among these are included:
+* The modern [[Maha Bodhi Society#Mulagandha Kuty Vihara in Sarnath|Mulagandha Kuty Vihara]] is a temple constructed by the [[Maha Bodhi Society]]; it was opened to the public in 1931. Wealthy Hawaiian philanthropist and benefactor [[Mary Robinson Foster]] provided much of the financial support for this project, while [[Anagārika|Anagarika]] [[Anagarika Dharmapala|Dharmapala]] supervised its construction. Dharmapala was a [[Sri Lanka]]n Buddhist monk who was instrumental in the [[History of Buddhism in India#Revival of Buddhism in India|revival of Buddhism in India]] after it had been virtually extinct in that country for seven centuries.{{sfn|Nakamura|2001|pp=267-8}} The temple contains a gilded replica of a 5th-century CE sculpture of ''[[Buddha Preaching his First Sermon (Sarnath)|Buddha Preaching his First Sermon]]''. Its interior walls are extensively decorated with [[fresco]]es by Japanese artist Kosetsu Nosu (1885-1973), depicting important events in the life of the Buddha.{{sfn|Nosu|1939|p=27}}
+* Anagarika Dharmapala Museum & offices of the Maha Bodhi Society, located on Dharmapala Road, just south of the modern Mulagandha Kuty Vihara
+* A standing Buddha statue, {{convert|24.3|m|abbr=off}} in height, inspired by the [[Buddhas of Bamiyan]],{{sfn|Tricycle|2009}} is located on the grounds of the Thai temple and monastery at Sarnath.<ref name=MansingkaThai2017>{{cite news|author=Shubham Mansingka|title=Thai Temple & Monastery|newspaper=[[The Times of India]]|date=11 January 2017|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/travel/Sarnath/Thai-Temple-Monastery/ps56473927.cms|accessdate=1 January 2023}}</ref> Construction began in 1997, and the statue was finally unveiled in 2011.<ref name=TNN2011>{{cite news|author=<!--not stated-->|title=Sarnath gets country's tallest statue of Buddha|newspaper=[[The Times of India]]|date=16 March 2011|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/varanasi/Sarnath-gets-countrys-tallest-statue-of-Lord-Buddha/articleshow/7720391.cms|accessdate=1 January 2023}}</ref>
+* A number of countries and regions in which Buddhism is a major religion (such as Cambodia, China, Japan, Korea, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Tibet, and Vietnam) have established temples and monasteries in Sarnath in the style that is typical for their respective cultures, so visitors can gain insight into Buddhism from the perspectives of many different cultures.<ref name=Tanko1999>{{cite news|author=Katherine Tanko|title=Centuries of Pilgrimage:Buddhists Still Flock to Sarnath|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=30 April 1999|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/04/30/style/IHT-centuries-of-pilgrimagebuddhists-still-flock-to-sarnath.html|accessdate=1 January 2023}}</ref>
+* A [[Bodhi Tree|bodhi tree]] planted by Anagarika Dharmapala which has grown from a cutting of [[Mahabodhi Temple#Mahabodhi Tree|the one at Bodh Gaya]]{{citation needed|date=January 2023}}
+* Padmasambhava Buddhist Center: Padma Samye Chokhor Ling Monastery, Orgyen Samye Chokhor Ling Nunnery, [[Khenchen Palden Sherab Rinpoche]] Stupa
+* Vajra Vidya Institute for Higher Buddhist Studies
+* Garden of Spiritual Wisdom, located on the grounds of the [[Chaukhandi Stupa]]
+[[File:Buddhist monk in Sarnath.jpg|thumb|Buddhist monk in Sarnath]]
-==Jainism==
+==As a Jain pilgrimage site==
 {{Main|Sarnath Jain Tirth}}
-[[File:Sridigamber_Jain_Temple,_Singhpuri,_Sarnath,_Varanasi.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Shri Digambar Jain Temple, Singhpuri, Sarnath, Varanasi]]
+Singhpur (Simhapuri), a village approximately {{convert|1.7|km|abbr=off}} northwest of Sarnath,{{sfn|Oertel|1908|p=60}} is believed to be the birthplace of [[Shreyansanatha]], the 11th ''[[tirthankara]]'' of [[Jainism]].{{sfn|Federation of Jain Associations in North America|2021|p=241}} It is also the place where four of the [[Panch Kalyanaka|five auspicious life events]] of Shreyansanatha took place. According to [[Jain cosmology]], the fifth auspicious life event is the attainment of ''[[Moksha (Jainism)|moksha]]''. Shreyansanatha was among the twenty Jain ''tirthankaras'' who attained ''moksha'' in [[Shikharji|Sametshikhar]].{{sfn|Federation of Jain Associations in North America|2021|p=241}}
-Sarnath is the birthplace of the 11th Tirthankara Shri [[Shreyansanatha]] Bhagwan. It is the place where 4 of the 5 [[Panch Kalyanaka|kalyanak]] (auspicious life events) of Shri Shreyansanatha Bhagwan took place.
-;Shri Digambar Jain Shreyansnath Mandir, Singhpuri, Sarnath
+Sarnath has been an important [[Tirtha (Jainism)|pilgrimage site for Jains]] for centuries.<ref name=MansingkaJain2017>{{cite news|author=Shubham Mansingka|title=Digambar Jain Temple|newspaper=[[The Times of India]]|date=11 January 2017|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/travel/Sarnath/Digambar-Jain-Temple/ps56473011.cms|access-date=2 January 2023}}</ref> A 17th-century [[Jainism|Jain]] manuscript describes a Jain temple in Varanasi as being located close to "a famous Bodisattva sanctuary" at a place called ''dharmeksā''. This Sanskrit word translates to "pondering of the law", and clearly refers to the Dhamek Stupa. The current edifice—[[Sarnath Jain Tirth]] (also known as the Shri Digamber Jain Temple or Shreyanshnath Jain Temple)—was constructed in 1824.{{sfn|Oertel|1908|p=60}} Located only about {{convert|70|m|abbr=off}} to the southwest of the Dhamek Stupa, this temple is dedicated to Shreyansanatha.<ref name=MansingkaJain2017/> The main deity of this temple is a blue-coloured statue of Shreyansanatha, {{convert|75|cm|abbr=off}} in height, in the [[lotus position]].{{citation needed|date=January 2023}}
-It is the place of 4 ''kalyanak'' of Shri Shreyansnath Bhagwan. A huge ''ashtakod'' stoop (octagonal pillar), 31.4&nbsp;m (103 feet) in height is still present showing its historical establishment. It is considered to be '''2200 years''' old. The main deity of this temple is a blue-coloured idol of Shri Shreyansnath Bhagwan, 75&nbsp; cm in height, in [[Lotus position|Padmāsana]]. The artistic work of this temple is unmatched.{{citation needed|date=December 2020}}
+==Other tourist attractions==
+Tourist attractions unrelated to Buddhism and spirituality in Sarnath include the Sarnath Deer Park and Fish Canal, and the Sarnath Turtle Breeding and Rehabilitation Centre.
-==Current features of Isipatana==
-[[File:Emblem of the Supreme Court of India.svg|thumb|Emblem of the Supreme Court of India: [[Lion Capital of Ashoka|Lion Capital]] with Dharma-chakra]]
-The major excavated ruins are listed below, generally in north-to-south and west-to-east order.
-[[File:Ancient Buddhist monasteries near Dhamekh Stupa Monument Site, Sarnath.jpg|right|thumb|Ancient Buddhist monasteries near [[Dhamekh Stupa]] Monument Site, Sarnath. The ruins of the original main temple are to the left.]]
-[[File:Sarnath capital.jpg|thumb|[[Ashoka pillar]] capital of Sarnath.]]
-Most of the ancient buildings and structures at Sarnath were damaged or destroyed by the Turks. However, amongst the ruins can be distinguished:
-* The '''Dharma Chakra Jina Vihar''' built by [[Govindachandra (Gahadavala dynasty)#Family|Kumaradevi]], a wife of Gahadavala [[Govindachandra (Gahadavala dynasty)|Govindachandra]] (c. 1114–1155 CE). An inscription mentions the building of this massive vihara. It mentions that Govindachandra had protected Varanasi from the Turushkas. This was the last construction at Sarnath before it was devastated.<ref>The word Jina in the name of this vihara means Buddha, not a Jain Tirthankara.</ref>
-* 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. The Lion Capital now symbolizes the modern state of India. The Lion Capital served as the base of a large 32-spoke stone dharma-chakra, which was found broken into many pieces.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=-lswCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA177&dq=sarnath+dharma+chakra+was+broken+into+pieces&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjk-aWcj_fiAhVSIKwKHaHHAtwQ6AEINTAC#v=onepage&q=sarnath%20dharma%20chakra%20was%20broken%20into%20pieces&f=false Reverence, Resistance and Politics of Seeing the Indian National Flag, Sadan Jha, Cambridge University Press, 2016, p.117, footnote 59]</ref> The seal of the [[Supreme court of India]] displays the Dharma Chakra as it must have originally appeared.<ref>[https://www.outlookindia.com/magazine/story/32-spokes-of-wisdom/296362 32 Spokes Of Wisdom Our national symbol, the Ashoka pillar, has an upper chakra missing. An MP pointed it out to Nehru, but was ignored, DOLA MITRA, Outlook India, 18 January 2016]</ref>
-* The ruins of the '''[[Mulagandhakuti vihara]]''' mark the place where the Buddha spent his first rainy season. This was the main temple marked by the presence of the Ashoka Pillar at the front. The famous Sarnath Buddha in [[Mudra#Dharmachakra Mudrā|dharmachakra pravartana mudra]] was found in the vicinity.
-* The '''Dharmarajika Stupa''' is one of the few [[Ashoka|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 18th century. At that time, relics (bone fragments) in a casket, were found in the Dharmarajika Stupa. These relics were subsequently thrown in the Ganges river, but the casket is preserved.
-* The '''[[Dhamek Stupa]]'''; it is an impressive structure, 39&nbsp;m (128 feet) high and 28&nbsp;m (93 feet) in diameter.
-* 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 [[Islam]]ic origin. In recent years it is undergoing restoration.
-* '''Digambar Jain Mandir''': while the current structure is from the 19th century, it occupies an ancient spot.
-* The modern '''Mulagandhakuti Vihara''' is a temple built in the 1930s by the [[Mahabodhi Society]], with beautiful wall paintings with a replica of the famous Sarnath Buddha in [[Dharmachakra Pravartana Buddha at Sarnath|dharmachakra pravartana mudra]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Nakamura|first=Hajime|author-link=Hajime Nakamura|title=Gotama Buddha|publisher=Kosei|pages=267|year=2000|isbn=4-333-01893-5}}</ref> Behind it is the Deer Park (where deer are still to be seen).
-* The '''[[Sarnath Museum|Sarnath Archeological Museum]]''' houses the famous Ashokan [[Lion Capital of Ashoka|lion capital]], which miraculously survived its 45-foot drop to the ground (from the top of the Ashokan Pillar), and became the [[National Emblem of India]] and national symbol on the [[Indian flag]]. The museum also houses [[Buddha Preaching his First Sermon (Sarnath)|a famous and refined sculpture]] of the Buddha in [[Dharmachakra Pravartana Buddha at Sarnath|Dharmachakra-posture]].
-* There is also a Bodhi tree planted by [[Anagarika Dharmapala]] which has grown from a cutting of the [[Bodhi Tree]] at [[Bodh Gaya]].
-For Buddhists, Sarnath (or Isipatana) is one of four pilgrimage sites designated by Gautama Buddha, the other three being [[Kushinagar]], Bodh Gaya, and [[Lumbini]].
-==Modern-day pilgrimage==
-Sarnath has been developed as a place of pilgrimage, both for Buddhists from India and abroad. A number of countries in which Buddhism is a major (or the dominant) religion, such as Thailand, Japan, Tibet, Sri Lanka, and Myanmar, have established temples and monasteries in Sarnath in the style that is typical for the respective country. Thus, pilgrims and visitors have the opportunity to experience an overview of Buddhist architecture from various cultures. There is a 24-m-tall (80-foot) statue of Buddha built over 14 years (1997-2011) by joint Indo-Thai efforts.<ref>[https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/varanasi/Sarnath-gets-countrys-tallest-statue-of-Lord-Buddha/articleshow/7720391.cms Sarnath gets country's tallest statue of Buddha, March 16, 2011]</ref> It is said to be inspired by the [[Buddhas of Bamiyan]].<ref>[https://tricycle.org/trikedaily/its-not-quite-bamiyan/ It’s not quite Bamiyan but…, Tricycle, NOV 02, 2009]</ref>
-{| class="wikitable"
-|+ style="text-align: left;"| Tourist arrival in Sarnath<ref>{{cite web|url=http://uptourism.gov.in/site/writereaddata/siteContent/Tourist%20Arrival%202013%20to%202017.pdf|title=ANNUAL TOURIST VISITS STATISTICS- 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017|publisher=UP Tourism}}</ref>
+{|class="wikitable"
+|+ style="text-align: left;"|Tourist arrival in Sarnath<ref name=uptourism>{{cite web|author=Uttar Pradesh Tourism Department|authorlink=Uttar Pradesh Tourism|title=Annual Tourist Visits Statistics - 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 & 2021|work=Year-wise Tourist Statistics|publisher=[[Uttar Pradesh Tourism|Department of Tourism, Uttar Pradesh]]|location=Lucknow|date=10 June 2022|url=https://www.uptourism.gov.in/en/post/Year-wise-Tourist-Statistics|accessdate=1 January 2023}}</ref>
+|-
+! scope="col"|Year !! scope="col"|International !! scope="col"|Domestic !! scope="col"|Total
+|-
+! scope="row"|2013
+|362,113||838,566||1,200,679
 |-
-! scope="col" | Year !! scope="col" | International !! scope="col" | Domestic !! scope="col" | Total
+! scope="row"|2014
+|374,268||899,457||1,273,725
 |-
-! scope="row" | 2013
+! scope="row"|2015
-| 362,113 || 838,566 || 1,200,679
+|388,102||924,552||1,312,654
 |-
-! scope="row" | 2014
+! scope="row"|2016
-| 374,268 || 899,457 || 1,273,725
+|409,242||957,320||1,366,562
 |-
-! scope="row" | 2015
+! scope="row"|2017
-| 388,102 || 924,552 || 1,312,654
+|430,682||1,024,589||1,455,271
 |-
-! scope="row" | 2016
+! scope="row"|2018
-| 409,242 || 957,320 || 1,366,562
+|435,752||1,070,035||1,505,787
 |-
-! scope="row" | 2017
+! scope="row"|2019
-| 430,682 || 1,024,589 || 1,455,271
+|336,136||1,132,615||1,468,751
 |}
 ==In English literature==
-{{wikisource|Letitia Elizabeth Landon (L. E. L.) in Fisher's Drawing Room Scrap Book, 1833/Sarnat|' Sarnat, a Bodh Monument'<br />a poem by L. E. L.}}
+In her 1832 poetical illustration {{ws|[[s:Letitia Elizabeth Landon (L. E. L.) in Fisher's Drawing Room Scrap Book, 1833/Sarnat, a Boodh Monument|''Sarnat, a Boodh Monument'']]}}, to a picture by [[Samuel Prout]], [[Letitia Elizabeth Landon]] compared the four major religions of the world and mentioned the persecution and subsequent expulsion of the Buddhists from India.{{sfn|Landon|1832|pp=16-17}}
-The plate on which [[Letitia Elizabeth Landon]]'s poem ''[[wikisource: Letitia Elizabeth Landon (L. E. L.) in Fisher's Drawing Room Scrap Book, 1833/Sarnat|Sarnat, a Bodh Monument]]'' is based shows its then run-down condition, and her words, comparing the religions of the world, pick up on the apparent weakness of Buddhism in the country of its origin at that time (1832).
-Sarnath is one of the locations of [[Rudyard Kipling|Rudyard Kipling's]] ''[[Kim (novel)|Kim]]''.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Kipling |first1=Rudyard |title=Kim |date=1901 |publisher=MacMillan & Co |location=London |isbn=9781974908677 |page=266}}</ref> Teshoo Lama stays at the Temple of the [[Tirthankara|Tirthankhars]] in Sarnath when not on his pilgrimages. Kim meets him there after he leaves Saint Xavier's school.
+Sarnath is one of the locations of [[Rudyard Kipling|Rudyard Kipling's]] 1901 novel ''[[Kim (novel)|Kim]]''. Teshoo Lama stays at the "[[Sarnath Jain Tirth|Temple of the Tirthankhers]]" in Sarnath when not on his pilgrimages.{{sfn|Kipling|1902|p=266}}
+''[[The Nameless City]]'' is a fictional [[short story]] published in 1921 by [[H. P. Lovecraft]]. When the narrator of this story sees the ruins of the Nameless City, he "thought of Sarnath the Doomed, that stood in the land of Mnar when mankind was young, and of Ib, that was carven of grey stone before mankind existed."{{sfn|Lovecraft|2011|p=93}} Lovecraft had previously described the fictional city of Sarnath in his 1920 story ''[[The Doom That Came to Sarnath]]''.{{sfn|Lovecraft|2011|pp=41-44}}
 ==Gallery==
-<gallery mode="packed" heights="120">
+<!-- images of antiquities before modern -->
-File:Dharmarajika Stupa.JPG|Dharmarajika Stupa from the pre-Ashokan Era
+<gallery perrow="6" widths="200px" heights="150px">
-File:Brahmi pillar inscription in Sarnath.jpg|[[Ashoka]]'s [[Brāhmī script|Brahmi]] inscription on the main pillar
+File:2015.207530.Archaeological-Survey 0099.jpg|Plan of excavations at Sarnath, with sites labeled using [[Alexander Cunningham]]'s terminology (1835)
-File:1 Sarnath Temple Buddhism Le Mulagandhakuti Vihāra Sârnâth Varanasi India 2013.jpg|Buddha image at Sarnath, a replica of the excavated [[Dharmachakra Pravartana Buddha at Sarnath]]
+File:Sarnath - Plan of Excavations.jpg|Plan of excavations at Sarnath, with sites labeled using current (English) terminology
-File:India-5130 - Flickr - archer10 (Dennis).jpg|Mulagandhakuti fresco by Kosetsu Nosu
+File:Sarnath excavation site 1907 (2).jpg|View of Sarnath during archaeological excavations, 1907. Camera angle from the ruins of the ancient Mulagandha Kuty Vihara towards the [[Dhamek Stupa]]; the [[Sarnath Jain Tirth|Sri Digamber Jain temple]] can be seen on the right side of the photograph.
-File:Interior of the Jain Temple dedicated to Shreyansanath, the eleventh Jain Tirthankar, Sarnath.jpg|Interior of Sri Digamber Jain Shreyansnath Mandir
+File:Sarnath Buddha statue inside a votive stupa.jpg|Buddha statue inside a [[Stupa#Types of stupas|votive stupa]] at Sarnath
-File:Sarnath tibetan temple 1.jpg|Temple of the Tibetan community in Sarnath
+File:Buddha in Sarnath.jpg|The [[Lion Capital of Ashoka]], the ''[[Buddha Preaching his First Sermon (Sarnath)|Buddha Preaching his First Sermon]]'' sculpture, and the [[Pillars of Ashoka|Ashokan pillar]], along with other antiquities as they appeared upon their exhumation at Sarnath on 15 March 1905 (photograph by [[F. O. Oertel]]).{{sfn|Elliott|Diemberger|Clemente|2014|p=125}}
-File:A Buddhist temple at Sarnath.jpg|Mulagandhakuti Vihara, Mahabodhi Society Buddhist temple at Sarnath
+File:Sarnath capital.jpg|The Lion Capital of Ashoka, now located in the [[Sarnath Museum|Sarnath Archeological Museum]], as it appeared in 2011
-File:Mauryan head from Sarnath.jpg|Head of West Asian foreigner, Sarnath.<ref>Page 122: About the [[Masarh lion]]: "This particular example of a foreign model gets added support from the male heads of foreigners from Patna city and Sarnath since they also prove beyond doubt that a section of the elite in the Gangetic Basin was of foreign origin. However, as noted earlier, this is an example of the late Mauryan period since this is not the type adopted in any Ashoka pillar. We are, therefore, visualizing a historical situation in India in which the West Asian influence on Indian art was felt more in the late Mauryan than in the early Mauryan period. The term West Asia in this context stands for Iran and Afghanistan, where the Sakas and Pahlavas had their base-camps for eastward movement. The prelude to future inroads of the Indo-Bactrians in India had after all started in the second century B.C."... in {{cite book |last1=Gupta |first1=Swarajya Prakash |author-link=Swaraj Prakash Gupta|title=The Roots of Indian Art: A Detailed Study of the Formative Period of Indian Art and Architecture, Third and Second Centuries B.C., Mauryan and Late Mauryan |year=1980 |publisher=B.R. Publishing Corporation |isbn=978-0-391-02172-3 |pages=88, 122 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0lDqAAAAMAAJ |language=en}}.</ref>
+File:Dharmarajika Stupa.JPG|Dharmarajika Stupa, from the pre-Ashokan period, as it appeared in 2007
-File:Sarnath Mauryan capital.jpg|Sarnath Mauryan capital.
+File:Sarnath pillar stump and the parts.jpg|Pieces of the pillar of Ashoka at Sarnath, as they appeared in 2016, protected behind a glass enclosure
-File:Sarnath capital with elephant.jpg|Sarnath capital with an elephant.
+File:Brahmi pillar inscription in Sarnath.jpg|[[Brahmi script|Brahmi]] inscription on the main pillar of Ashoka at Sarnath
-File:Sarnath - Plan of Excavations.jpg|Sarnath - Plan of Excavations and constructions.
+File:Mauryan head from Sarnath.jpg|[[Greco-Persian art|Greco-Persian sculpture]] of the head of a West Asian foreigner from the [[Maurya Empire|Maurya period]], Sarnath Museum{{sfn|Smith|1911|pp=374–5}}
-File:Thai Temple Sarnath Varanasi.jpg|View of Lord Buddha at Thai Temple Sarnath Varanasi.
+File:Sarnath Mauryan capital.jpg|[[Mauryan art#Pillars and their capitals|Perso-Ionic capital]] of the Mauryan period, excavated at Sarnath{{sfn|Smith|1911|pp=101-2}}
-File:Sarnath Buddha statue inside a votive stupa.jpg|Buddha statue inside a votive stupa, Sarnath
+File:Sarnath capital with elephant.jpg|Opposite side of the same capital, excavated at Sarnath, depicting an elephant
+File:Bala_Bodhisattva_with_shaft_and_umbrella.jpg|The ''[[Bala Bodhisattva]]'', an important statue for dating Indian art, was discovered at Sarnath. The statue was dedicated in "the year 3 of [[Kanishka]]" (circa 129 CE).{{sfn|Mani|2012|pp=60-61}}
+File:Digamber Jain Temple, Sarnath.jpg|Exterior of the [[Sarnath Jain Tirth|Sri Digamber Jain temple]] at Sarnath
+File:Interior of the Jain Temple dedicated to Shreyansanath, the eleventh Jain Tirthankar, Sarnath.jpg|Interior of the Sri Digamber Jain temple at Sarnath
+File:A Buddhist temple at Sarnath.jpg|The modern [[Maha Bodhi Society#Mulagandha Kuty Vihara in Sarnath|Mulagandha Kuty Vihara]], a Buddhist temple constructed by the [[Maha Bodhi Society]] at Sarnath
+File:1 Sarnath Temple Buddhism Le Mulagandhakuti Vihāra Sârnâth Varanasi India 2013.jpg|A replica of the ''[[Buddha Preaching his First Sermon (Sarnath)|Buddha Preaching his First Sermon]]'' sculpture, located in the modern Mulagandha Kuty Vihara
+File:India-5130 - Flickr - archer10 (Dennis).jpg|Fresco in the modern Mulagandha Kuty Vihara, by Japanese artist Kosetsu Nosu
+File:Sarnath tibetan temple 1.jpg|Temple and monastery of the Tibetan community in Sarnath
+File:Thai Temple Sarnath Varanasi.jpg|Seated statue of the Buddha, with standing Buddha statue in the background, on the grounds of the Thai temple and monastery at Sarnath
 </gallery>
-==See also==
+==References==
-*[[Adi Badri (Haryana)]]
-*[[Pillars of Ashoka]]
-*[[Kanaganahalli]] and [[Sannati]] in [[North Karnataka]]
-{{Portal bar|Religion}}
-==Notes==
 {{reflist|30em}}
-== References ==
+==Cited works==
-* Rai Bahadur Daya Ram Sahni: ''Guide to the Buddhist Ruins of Sarnath with a Plan of Excavations and Five Photographic Plates''. [[Archaeological Survey of India]], Delhi 1922
+*{{cite book|last=Asher|first=Frederick M.|title=Sarnath: A Critical History of the Place Where Buddhism Began|publisher=Getty Research Institute|location=Los Angeles|year=2020|isbn=978-1606066164|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JMHEDwAAQBAJ}}
-** Reprint: Antiquarian Book House, Delhi/Varanasi, 1982-1983
+*{{cite book|last=Chandra|first=Satish|author-link=Satish Chandra (historian)|title=History of Medieval India: 800-1700|publisher=Orient BlackSwan|location=Hyderabad|year=2007|isbn=978-9352874576|url=https://www.magadhuniversity.ac.in/download/econtent/pdf/Satish%20Chandra%20-%20History%20of%20Medieval%20India%20(2018,%20Orient%20Blackswan)%20-%20libgen.lc.pdf}}
-* Satyarth Nayak: [[The Emperor's Riddles]] 2014
+*{{cite book|last=Cunningham|first=Alexander|author-link=Alexander Cunningham|title=Four reports made during the years 1862-63-64-65|volume=1|chapter=Banaras Sarnath|pages=103–130|publisher=[[Archaeological Survey of India]]|location=Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India|year=1871|chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.94077/page/n225/mode/2up}}
+*{{cite journal|last=Duncan|first=Johnathan|authorlink=Jonathan Duncan (Governor of Bombay)|title=An Account of the Discovery of Two Urns in the Vicinity of Benares|journal=[[The Asiatic Society#Journal of the Asiatic Society|Transactions of the Society Instituted in Bengal, for enquiring into the History and Antiquities, the Arts, Sciences and Literature, of Asia]]|volume=5|pages=131–3|year=1799|url=https://archive.org/details/asiaticresearche05asia/page/130/mode/2up}}
+*{{cite book|last1=Elliott|first1=Mark|last2=Diemberger|first2=Hildegard|last3=Clemente|first3=Michela|title=Buddha's Word: The Life of Books in Tibet and Beyond|publisher=Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, University of Cambridge|location=Cambridge, England|year=2014|isbn=978-0947595203|url=https://iris.uniroma1.it/retrieve/handle/11573/1441437/1900167/Clemente_Buddhas-word_2014.pdf}}
+*{{cite book|author=Federation of Jain Associations in North America|authorlink=JAINA|edition=4th|title=Compendium of Jainism|publisher=Jain Education International|location=Carson, California|year=2021|isbn=978-1594060663|url=https://jainelibrary.org/jab/jabfiles/00_JAB_Manual_2021.pdf}}
+*{{cite book|last=Habib|first=Mohammad|author-link=Mohammad Habib|editor-last=Nizami|editor-first=Khaliq Ahmad|editor-link=K. A. Nizami|title=Politics and Society During the Early Medieval Period: Collected Works of Professor Mohammad Habib|volume=2|publisher=People's Publishing House|location=New Delhi|year=1981|url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.99172/page/n145/mode/2up}}
+*{{cite book|last=Hodges|first=William|author-link=William Hodges|title=Travels in India, during the years 1780, 1781, 1782, and 1783|chapter=Chaper IV: Description of Benares|publisher=printed for the author, and sold by J. Edwards|location=London|year=1794|chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/travelsinindiad00hodggoog/page/n85/mode/2up}}
+*{{cite book|last=Khan|first=Iqtidar Alam|title=Historical Dictionary of Medieval India|series=Historical Dictionaries of Ancient Civilizations and Historical Eras|volume=20|publisher=Scarecrow Press|location=Lanham, Maryland|year=2008|isbn=978-0810855038}}
+*{{cite book|last=Kipling|first=Rudyard|author-link=Rudyard Kipling|title=Kim|edition=1st|publisher=MacMillan & Company|location=London|year=1902|url=https://archive.org/details/kim00kipl_2/page/266/mode/2up}}
+*{{cite journal|last=Konow|first=Sten|author-link=Sten Konow|title=Sarnath Inscription of Kumaradevi|journal=Epigraphica Indica|volume=9|issue=51|pages=319–28|year=1908|url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.48794/page/n431/mode/2up}}
+*{{cite book|last=Landon|first=Letitia Elizabeth|author-link=Letitia Elizabeth Landon|title=Fisher's drawing room scrap-book; with poetical illustrations by L.E.L, 1833|publisher=Fisher, Son, and Jackson|location=London|year=1832|url=https://digital.tcl.sc.edu/digital/collection/annuals/id/9595/rec/1}}
+*{{cite book|translator-last=Beal|translator-first=Samuel|translator-link=Samuel Beal|last=Li|first=Hwui|edition=2nd|volume=Book III|title=The Life of Hiuen-Tsiang|publisher=Kegan Paul, Trench, Trübner & Company|location=London|year=1914|url=https://archive.org/details/lifeofhiuentsian030569mbp/page/n151/mode/2up}}
+*{{cite book|last=Lovecraft|first=Howard Phillips|author-link=H. P. Lovecraft|title=The Complete Works Of H. P. Lovecraft|year=2011|url=https://archive.org/details/TheCompleteWorksOfH.P.Lovecraft/page/n91/mode/2up}}
+*{{cite book|last=Mani|first=B. R.|title=Sarnath: Archaeology, Art and Architecture|publisher=[[Archaeological Survey of India]]|location=New Delhi|year=2012|url=https://archive.org/details/sarnatharchaeolo00mani/page/60/mode/2up}}
+*{{cite book|last=Meston|first=James|editor-link=James Meston, 1st Baron Meston|year=1915|title=Hutchinson's Story of the Nations|chapter=India|pages=123–222|publisher=Hutchison & Co.|location=London|chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/hutchinsonsstory00londuoft/page/169/mode/1up}}
+*{{cite book|last=Nakamura|first=Hajime|author-link=Hajime Nakamura|translator-last=Sekimori|translator-first=Gaynor|title=Gotama Buddha: A Biography Based on the Most Reliable Texts|edition=1st|volume=1|publisher=Kosei Publishing Company|location=Tokyo|year=2001|isbn=978-4333018932|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Nt8QAQAAIAAJ&q=%22Ceylonese%20monk%22}}
+*{{cite book|last=Niyogi|first=Roma|title=The History of the Gāhadavāla Dynasty|publisher=Calcutta Oriental Book Agency|location=Kolkata|year=1959|url=https://indianculture.gov.in/ebooks/history-gahadavala-dynasty}}
+*{{cite book|last=Nosu|first=Kosetsu|title=Life of Buddha in Frescoes: Mulagandhakuti Vihara, Sarnath|publisher=[[Maha Bodhi Society]]|location=Kolkata|year=1939|url=https://archive.org/details/lifeofbuddhainfr00nosu/page/n35/mode/2up|accessdate=1 January 2023}}
+*{{cite book|last=Oertel|first=Friedrich Oscar|author-link=F. O. Oertel|title=Archaeological Survey of India Annual Report, 1904–1905|chapter=Excavations at Sarnath|pages=59–104|publisher=Superintendent Government Printing, India|location=Calcutta|year=1908|chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.207530/page/n97/mode/2up}}
+*{{cite book|last=Phuoc|first=Le Huu|title=Buddhist Architecture|publisher=Grafikol|location=Lakeville, Minnesota|year=2010|isbn=978-0984404308|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9jb364g4BvoC&pg=PA38}}
+*{{cite book|last=Ray|first=Himanshu Prabha|authorlink=Himanshu Prabha Ray|title=The Return of the Buddha: Ancient Symbols for a New Nation|edition=1st|publisher=Routledge|location=New Delhi|year=2014|isbn=978-0415711159}}
+*{{cite book|last=Sadan|first=Jha|title=Reverence, Resistance and Politics of Seeing the Indian National Flag|publisher=Cambridge University Press|location=Cambridge, England|year=2016|isbn=978-1107118874|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-lswCwAAQBAJ&dq=sarnath+dharma+chakra+was+broken+into+pieces&pg=PA177}}
+*{{cite book|last=Sahni|first=Daya Ram|authorlink=Daya Ram Sahni|title=Catalogue of the Museum of Archaeology at Sarnath|publisher=Superintendent Government Printing, India|location=Calcutta|year=1914|url=https://www.indianculture.gov.in/system/files/digitalFilesICWeb/ICrarebooks/igncarepository/254/ignca-839-rb.pdf}}
+*{{cite book|last=Sahni|first=Daya Ram|authorlink=Daya Ram Sahni|title=Guide to the Buddhist ruins of Sarnath|publisher=[[Archaeological Survey of India]]|location=Calcutta|year=1917|url=https://www.indianculture.gov.in/flipbook/83409}}
+*{{cite book|last=Sanyal|first=Sanjeev|author-link=Sanjeev Sanyal|title=Land of the Seven Rivers: A Brief History of India's Geography|pages=130–1|publisher=Penguin Books India Private Limited|location=Gurgaon, India|year=2012|isbn=978-8184756715|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xu-O9eNmQXMC&pg=PT130}}
+*{{cite book|last=Sarao|first=Karam Tej Singh|author-link=K. T. S. Sarao|editor-last=Long|editor-first=Jeffery D.|editor-link=Jeffery D. Long|title=Buddhism and Jainism|series=Encyclopedia of Indian Religions|publisher=Springer|location=Dordrecht, Netherlands|year=2017|doi=10.1007/978-94-024-0852-2_100384 |isbn=978-9402408515|url=https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-024-0852-2_100384}}
+*{{cite book|last=Schumann|first=Hans Wolfgang|authorlink=H.W. Schumann|title=The Historical Buddha: The Times, Life, and Teachings of the Founder of Buddhism|publisher=[[Motilal Banarsidass]]|location=New Delhi|year=2004|isbn=8120818172|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=h2Qh2zzNkNkC}}
+*{{cite book|last=Sherring|first=Matthew Atmore|authorlink=M. A. Sherring|title=Benares: The Sacred City of the Hindus|publisher=B. R. Publishing Corporation|location=Delhi|year=1868|url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.499299/page/n61/mode/2up}}
+*{{cite book|last=Smith|first=Vincent Arthur|author-link=Vincent Arthur Smith|title=A history of fine art in India and Ceylon, from the earliest times to the present day|publisher=Clarendon Press|location=Oxford|year=1911|url=https://archive.org/details/historyoffineart00smit/page/374/mode/2up}}
+*{{cite book|last=Tillotson|first=Giles Henry Rupert|author-link=Giles Tillotson|title=The Artificial Empire: The Indian Landscapes of William Hodges|edition=1st|publisher=Routledge|location=Abingdon-on-Thames, England|year=2000|asin=B00AZ4O282|url=https://www.amazon.com/Artificial-Empire-Indian-Landscapes-William-ebook/dp/B00AZ4O282?asin=B00AZ4O282&revisionId=&format=2&depth=1}}
+*{{cite journal|author=Tricycle|author-link=Tricycle: The Buddhist Review|title=It's not quite Bamiyan but...|journal=[[Tricycle: The Buddhist Review]]|volume=19|issue=1|date=2 November 2009|url=https://tricycle.org/article/its-not-quite-bamiyan/}}
+*{{cite journal|last=Vogel|first=Jean Philippe|author-link=J. Ph. Vogel|title=Epigraphical Discoveries at Sarnath|journal=Epigraphica Indica|volume=8|issue=17|pages=166–179|year=1906|url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.56654/page/n213/mode/2up}}
+*{{cite book|last=Wagner|first=Anne|editor-last=Marusek|editor-first=Sarah|title=Flags, Color, and the Legal Narrative: Public Memory, Identity, and Critique|publisher=Springer Nature|location=Cham, Switzerland|year=2021|isbn=978-3030328641|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qvYvEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA406}}
 ==External links==
-{{wikiquote}}
-{{commons category|Sarnath}}
-*{{Wikivoyage-inline}}
+*
-{{ppn|i_/isipatana.htm|Isipatana}}
 {{RBK|33|Sarnath}}
 *[https://web.archive.org/web/20080324193656/http://www.vishwakala.org/uniportal/info/index.asp Sarnath India Art Architecture Archcelogy History Culture Study Project]
 *[https://templeknowledge.com/about-sarnath-temple/ Sarnath Temple]
+{{Sarnath Museum}}
+{{Archaeological sites in India}}
+{{Varanasi}}
 {{Buddhism topics}}
-{{Varanasi}}
-{{Archaeological sites in India}}
-{{Edicts of Ashoka}}
-[[Category:Sarnath| ]]
 [[Category:Buddhist pilgrimage sites in India]]
-[[Category:Varanasi district]]
+[[Category:Buddhist sites in Uttar Pradesh]]
-[[Category:Gautama Buddha]]
+[[Category:Census towns in Varanasi district]]
 [[Category:Early Buddhism]]
-[[Category:Hindu pilgrimage sites in India]]
-[[Category:Hindu holy cities]]
 [[Category:Former populated places in India]]
-[[Category:Census towns in Varanasi district]]
+[[Category:Gautama Buddha]]
-[[Category:Buddhist sites in Uttar Pradesh]]
-[[Category:2nd-century BC Jain temples]]
 [[Category:Jain temples in Uttar Pradesh]]
+[[Category:Sarnath|Sarnath]]
+[[Category:Varanasi district]]

Sarnath सारनाथ
Historical City
View of Sarnath, looking from the ruins of the ancient Mulagandha Kuty Vihara towards the Dhamek Stupa
Nickname: Isipatana
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Error creating thumbnail: File missing Sarnath सारनाथ Show map of India Sarnath सारनाथ is located in Uttar Pradesh Error creating thumbnail: File missing Sarnath सारनाथ Show map of Uttar Pradesh
Coordinates: 25°22′41″N 83°01′30″E / 25.3780°N 83.0251°E / 25.3780; 83.0251
Country	India
State	Uttar Pradesh
District	Varanasi
Languages
• Local	Bhojpuri
Time zone	UTC+5:30