View source for Sarnath

{{short description|Buddhist pilgrimage site in India}}
{{about|the Indian city|H. P. Lovecraft's fictitious city|The Doom That Came to Sarnath}}
{{Use Indian English|date=August 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2014}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name               = Sarnath
| settlement_type    = Historical Town
| image_skyline      = Ancient Buddhist monasteries near Dhamekh Stupa Monument Site, Sarnath.jpg
| image_caption      = View of Sarnath, looking from the ancient Mulagandha Kuty Vihara towards the [[Dhamek Stupa]]
| pushpin_map        = India#India Uttar Pradesh
| pushpin_relief     = yes
| pushpin_label_position = left
| coordinates        = {{coord|25.3780|N|83.0251|E|display=inline,title}}
| subdivision_type   = Country
| subdivision_name   = {{flag|India}}
| subdivision_type1  = State
| subdivision_name1  = [[Uttar Pradesh]]
| subdivision_type2  = District
| subdivision_name2  = [[Varanasi district|Varanasi]]
| unit_pref          = Metric
| population_density_km2 = auto
| demographics_type1 = Languages
| demographics1_title1 = Local
| demographics1_info1 = [[Bhojpuri language|Bhojpuri]]
| utc_offset1        = +5:30
}}
{{Infobox Buddhist term
| title = Sarnath
| sa = सारनाथम्
| sa-Latn= saraṅga-nāthá
| pi =
| pi-Latn =
| bn = সারনাথ
| bn-Latn = 
| my  = ဣသိပတန မိဂဒါဝုန်
| my-Latn = 
| zh = 鹿野苑
| zh-Latn = Lùyěyuàn
| ja = サールナート/鹿野苑
| ja-Latn = Sārunāto/Rokuyaon
| jv=
| jv-Latn = 
| kaw = 
| kaw-Latn = 
| km = 
| km-Latn=
| ko = 사르나트/녹야원(鹿野園)
| ko-Latn = Sareunateu/Nokyawon
| lo =
| mnw =
| mnw-Latn = 
| shn = 
| shn-Latn = 
| si = සාරනාත්
| si-Latn = 
| ta = சாரநாத்
| ta-Latn = 
| th = สารนาถ
| th-Latn= 
| bo = 
| bo-Latn = 
| vi = Sarnath
| id = Sarnath
| kannada = 
| en = 
}}
{{BuddhasHolySites}}
{{Buddhist_pilgrimage_sites_in_India.svg}}
{{buddhism}}

'''Sarnath''' (also known as '''Deer Park''',<ref name="Nekhor" /><ref>Maps of India, "History: The Mesmeric Deer Park of Sarnath", 16 September 2013</ref><ref>Subham Mangsingka, "Deer Park", ''Times of India'', 11 January 2017</ref> ''Sarangnath'', ''Isipatana Deer Park'', ''Rishipattana'', ''Migadaya'', or ''Mrigadava'')<ref name="NRI2022">{{cite web|author=NRI Department, Government of Uttar Pradesh, India|author-link=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|access-date=1 January 2023|archive-date=17 December 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221217210223/https://nri.up.gov.in/article/en/sarnath|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=WisLib>Gabe Hiemstra, "Buddha Chronicle 24: Kassapa Buddhavaṃsa". ''Wisdom Library'', 14 September 2019.</ref> is a town northeast of [[Varanasi]], in [[Uttar Pradesh]], India. As the ''[[Lalitavistara sutra]]'' states, the [[Gautama Buddha]] chose "Deer Park by the Hill of the Fallen Sages, outside of Varanasi"<ref name="Nekhor" /> for his first teaching after he attained [[Enlightenment in Buddhism|enlightenment]]<ref name="Nekhor">Samye Translations, "Sarnath: The First Turning of the Dharma Wheel", ''Nekhor: Circling the Sacred''</ref> in [[Bodh Gaya]]. The teaching is entitled ''[[Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta|Dhammacakkappavattana sutra]]''.{{sfn|Sahni|1914|p=2}} Sarnath is one of the eight most important [[Buddhist pilgrimage sites|pilgrimage sites for Buddhists]], and has been nominated to become a [[UNESCO World Heritage Site]].<ref>"Sarnath struggles for recognition as heritage bid gathers dust", ''The Times of India'', 19 April 2024</ref>

Sarnath is where Gautama Buddha's ''[[sangha]]'' first convened, when he gave the first teaching to his original 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|access-date=1 January 2023|archive-date=7 March 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230307225948/https://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/buddhism/lifebuddha/18lbud.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> known as ''The First Turning of the Wheel of Dharma''.<ref name="Nekhor" /> This teaching occurred circa 528&nbsp;[[BCE]] when the Buddha was approximately 35 years of age.

The buddha before Gautama Buddha is [[Kassapa Buddha]], who was born in Sarnath to where he returned and joined his sangha of men and women in order to give his first teaching.<ref name="WisLib" />

Several sources state that the name Sarnath is derived from ''Saranganath'', which translates to 'Lord of the Deer'. According to Buddhist history, during the local king's hunting trip, a male deer (buck) offered to sacrifice himself to save the life of a female deer (doe) that the king was aiming to kill. Impressed, the king then declared his park would thereafter be a deer sanctuary.<ref>Khenpo Sonam Tsering,''The Great Pilgrimage Sites in India'', 2021</ref><ref>Varanasi on Line, "Sarnath"</ref>

According to the ''[[Mahāparinibbāna Sutta|Mahaparinibbana sutra]]'' that is ''[[sutra]]'' 16 of the ''[[Dīgha Nikāya|Digha Nikaya]]'', the Buddha mentioned Sarnath as one of the four [[Buddhist]] pilgrimage sites 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 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|access-date=1 January 2023|archive-date=17 December 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221217193913/https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/dn/dn.16.5-6.than.html#pilgrim|url-status=live}}</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|access-date=1 January 2023|archive-date=25 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200625002728/https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/dn/dn.16.1-6.vaji.html#chap5|url-status=live}}</ref>

Sarnath is located {{convert|8|km|mi|0|spell=on|abbr=off}} northeast of Varanasi near the confluence of the [[Ganges]] and the [[Varuna River|Varuna]] rivers.

==Etymology==
The name ''Sarnath'' derives from the [[Sanskrit]] word {{IAST|Sāranganātha}} (or ''Sārangnāth'' in [[Pali]]),<ref name=NRI2022/> which translates to 'Lord of the Deer' in English.{{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|access-date=3 January 2023|archive-date=7 March 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230307225953/http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/buddhism/bt1_13.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> The term for ''deer park'' is {{IAST|Mriga-dāva}} in Sanskrit, or ''Miga-dāya'' in Pali.{{sfn|Sahni|1914|p=1}}

''Isipatana'' is another name used to refer to Sarnath in Pali, the language of the [[Pali Canon]]. This name corresponds to {{IAST|Rishipattana}} in Sanskrit.
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}}

==History==
===5th century BCE – 6th century CE===
Buddhism flourished in Sarnath during the [[History of India#Second urbanisation (c. 600 – 200 BCE)|second urbanisation]], {{circa|600– 200&nbsp;BCE}}, from the time of the [[Mahajanapadas]] through the [[Nanda Empire]] and [[Maurya Empire]] periods, in part because of patronage from kings and wealthy merchants based in [[Varanasi]].{{Citation needed|date=August 2024}} 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 also practised there. Images of [[Hindu deities]] such as [[Shiva]] and [[Brahma]] were also found at the site, while a [[Jain temple]] was located very close to the [[Dhamek Stupa]].{{citation needed|date=January 2023}}

Buddhism further expanded in India during the [[Gupta Empire|Gupta]] (4th to 6th centuries) period. [[Faxian]] was a Chinese Buddhist monk who travelled extensively throughout northern India from 400 to 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}}

===6th – 8th centuries CE===
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}}

===8th – 12th centuries CE===
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 travelled 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}}

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]]) and member of the [[Pithipatis of Magadha|Pithipati dynasty of Bodh Gaya]]. 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|author-link=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|access-date=2 January 2023|archive-date=7 March 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230307230006/http://www.sarnathmuseumasi.org/gallery/Gallery2%20Acc%20No%2033.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Late 12th century: the destruction of Sarnath===
Along with Sarnath, 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 [[commons:File:Inscription_of_Kumaradevi_the_Queen_of_Gahadawala_king_Govindachandra,_which_refers_the_construction_of_Dharmachkra-Jin-Vihara_at_Sarnath,_12th_century_CE.jpg|Kumaradevi inscription]] mentions that King Govindachandra had protected Varanasi from invasions by the [[Ghaznavids]] which the inscription refers to as Turushkas{{Efn|Turushka is a word for "Muslim Turkish Mercenaries".

Bosworth, Clifford Edmund (1980). The Islamic dynasties : a chronological and genealogical handbook. Internet Archive. Edinburgh : Edinburgh University Press. pp. 2, 197. ISBN 978-0-85224-402-9. |name=Turushka|group=note}} 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.{{sfn|Verardi|2011}}

[[Muslim conquests in the Indian subcontinent]] 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]], the [[Ghurid dynasty]] ruler from [[Ghazni]], which is in present-day Afghanistan. [[Qutb ud-Din Aibak]] — the commander of [[Muhammad of Ghor]]'s army — led his men 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]] (c. 1170–1194 CE) was the reigning [[Gahadavala dynasty]] king at that time and 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> 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}}

While Qutbuddin Aibek destroyed Sarnath, it was the troops of [[Muhammad Bakhtiyar Khalji]]—another of Muhammad of Ghor's slave generals—that continued to destroy sites sacred to Buddhists. They destroyed Vikramashila in 1193, Odantapuri in 1197, and Nalanda in 1200.{{sfn|Meston|1915|p=169}} The Buddhists who survived in northern India fled to [[Nepal]], [[Sikkim]], [[Tibet]],{{sfn|Sanyal|2012|pp=130-1}} or [[South India]]. By the end of the 12th century, Buddhist monastic centers and their vast libraries had nearly disappeared from the Indian subcontinent.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Disappearance of Buddhism in India |url=https://www.originalbuddhas.com/blog/disappearance-of-buddhism-in-india?srsltid=AfmBOooHTARObbbnOcPA-P61h2YwtrnJqEQvwgW9JCSpZOXuAUUN2-o- |access-date=2024-12-13 |website=Original Buddhas |language=en}}</ref>

However, according to some scholars, fresh re-assessments of evidence from archaeology{{sfn|Verardi|2011}} in addition to historical records{{sfn|Auer|Strauch|2019}} have disputed this view of Muslim invasions as the major cause of the decline of Buddhism in India or the destruction of such Buddhist sites as Sarnath — arguing, instead, "that [[Brahmin|Brahmanical]] hostility toward Buddhists resulted in the destruction of Sarnath and other sites".{{sfn|Asher|2020|p=11}} According to archaeologist [[Giovanni Verardi]]: "Contrary to what is usually believed, the great monasteries of Gangetic India, from Sarnath to Vikramaśīla, from Odantapurī to Nālandā, were not destroyed by the Muslims, but appropriated and transformed by the Brahmans with only the occasional intervention of the Muslim forces".{{sfn|Verardi|2011}} According to Verardi, "orthodox" Brahmins — who had been gaining in power and influence during the [[Gahadavala dynasty|Gahadavala]] and [[Sena dynasty|Sena]] dynasties, the [[Sena-Gahadavala Conflicts|rival]] Hindu-revivalist dynasties of northern/eastern India — "accepted Muslim rule in exchange for the extirpation of Buddhism and the repression of the social sectors in revolt."{{sfn|Verardi|2011}} Archaeologist Federica Barba writes that the Gahadavalas built large [[Hindu temple]]s in traditional Buddhist sites such as Sarnath, and converted Buddhist shrines into Brahmanical ones: Evidence indicates that Buddhists had been expelled from Sarnath during the mid 12th-century, under the Gahadavala rule, and it already was in the process of being converted to a large [[Shaivism|Shiva temple]] compound before Muslim invaders arrived.<ref>{{cite book | last=Barba | first=Federica | chapter=Appendix 2, Sarnath: A Reassessment of the Archaeological Evidence with Particular Reference to the Final Phase of the Site | editor-last=Verardi | editor-first=Giovanni | title=Hardships and Downfall of Buddhism in India | publisher=Manohar Publishers & Distributors | date=2011 | isbn=978-81-7304-928-6 | url = https://www.academia.edu/112184736/Sarnath_A_Reassessment_of_the_Archaeological_Evidence_with_Particular_Reference_to_the_Final_Phase_of_the_Site}}</ref>{{sfn|Asher|2020|p=11}}

===18th century: rediscovery and looting===
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}}

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|archive-date=2 January 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230102202450/https://www.tribuneindia.com/2009/20090503/spectrum/main1.htm|url-status=live}}</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 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|author-link=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|access-date=1 January 2023|archive-date=17 December 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221217172501/https://www.asisarnathcircle.org/dhamek-stupa.php|url-status=live}}</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}}

===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}}

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 travelled 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]].

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}}

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}}

===20th century: extensive excavations and restoration===
[[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}}

==Present day==
<!--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/> During the British East India's [[Company rule in India|colonial rule]], ancient sites such as Sarnath were subjected to extensive archaeological study. Certain levels of restoration occurred decades later.

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|author-link=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/|access-date=1 January 2023|archive-date=26 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211126071858/http://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/1096/|url-status=live}}</ref>

The sites of the greatest importance to Buddhist pilgrims include:
* The [[Dhamek Stupa]] is considered to mark the location of the Buddha's first teaching. Scholars believe that the name of the stupa might be a combination of the words 'Dharma Chakra', which means ''Turning the Wheel of Dharma''.<ref name=Dhamek/> A reliquary stupa was built on the site after the Buddha's passing, and then likely modified by Ashoka who in 249 BCE was recorded as changing the stupa<ref name=Dhamek>"Dhamek Stupa in Sarnath", https://guidevaranasi.com/dhamek-stupa-in-sarnath/</ref> while he was gathering and redistributing the Buddha's relics. Its inner chambers had held reliquaries. It 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 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 later marked by the presence of the Ashokan pillar at the front. The fifth-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 contemporary Mulagandha Kuty Vihara, dating from the 1930s, currently holds the bone relics of the Buddha.
* 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]], located {{convert|800|m|mi|frac=2|abbr=off}} outside of Deer Park, commemorates the place where the Buddha reunited his first five disciples [[Kaundinya]], [[Assaji]], Bhaddiya, Vappa, and Mahanama. It is capped with an octagonal brick tower that was erected as a memorial to [[Humayun|Emperor Humayun]] by his son [[Akbar]] in 1588&nbsp;CE.{{sfn|Oertel|1908|p=74}}
* The Sarnath Archeological Museum houses the famous Lion Capital of Ashoka, which survived a {{convert|45|ft|m|0|adj=on|order=flip}} 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 fifth-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/>

==Modern places of worship==
[[File:Buddhist monk in Sarnath.jpg|thumb|Buddhist monk in Sarnath]]

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|ftin|abbr=on}} 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|access-date=1 January 2023|archive-date=1 January 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230101163604/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/travel/Sarnath/Thai-Temple-Monastery/ps56473927.cms|url-status=live}}</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|access-date=1 January 2023|archive-date=2 January 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230102043317/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/varanasi/sarnath-gets-countrys-tallest-statue-of-lord-buddha/articleshow/7720391.cms|url-status=live}}</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|access-date=1 January 2023|archive-date=1 January 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230101160005/https://www.nytimes.com/1999/04/30/style/IHT-centuries-of-pilgrimagebuddhists-still-flock-to-sarnath.html|url-status=live}}</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]]

==As a Jain pilgrimage site==
{{Main|Sarnath Jain Tirth}}
[[File:Sarnath Jain Temple (1).jpg|thumb|[[Sarnath Jain Tirth]] ]]

Singhpur (Simhapuri), a village approximately {{convert|1.7|km|mi|frac=8|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 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|archive-date=1 January 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230101163612/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/travel/sarnath/digambar-jain-temple/ps56473011.cms|url-status=live}}</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}} 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}}

==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.

{|class="wikitable"
|+ style="text-align: left;"|Tourist arrival in Sarnath<ref name=uptourism>{{cite web|author=Uttar Pradesh Tourism Department|author-link=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|access-date=1 January 2023|archive-date=1 January 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230101223312/https://www.uptourism.gov.in/en/post/Year-wise-Tourist-Statistics|url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
! scope="col"|Year !! scope="col"|International !! scope="col"|Domestic !! scope="col"|Total 
|-
! scope="row"|2013 
|362,113||838,566||1,200,679
|-
! scope="row"|2014 
|374,268||899,457||1,273,725
|-
! scope="row"|2015
|388,102||924,552||1,312,654
|-
! scope="row"|2016
|409,242||957,320||1,366,562
|-
! scope="row"|2017
|430,682||1,024,589||1,455,271
|-
! scope="row"|2018
|435,752||1,070,035||1,505,787
|-
! scope="row"|2019
|336,136||1,132,615||1,468,751
|}

==In English literature==
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}}

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==
<!-- images of antiquities before modern -->
<gallery perrow="6" widths="200px" heights="150px">
File:2015.207530.Archaeological-Survey 0099.jpg|Plan of excavations at Sarnath, with sites labelled using [[Alexander Cunningham]]'s terminology (1835)
File:Sarnath - Plan of Excavations.jpg|Plan of excavations at Sarnath, with sites labelled using contemporary English terminology
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:Sarnath Buddha statue inside a votive stupa.jpg|Buddha statue inside a [[Stupa#Types of stupas|votive stupa]] at 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:Sarnath capital.jpg|The Lion Capital of Ashoka and national emblem of India, now located in the [[Sarnath Museum|Sarnath Archeological Museum]], as it appeared in 2011
File:Dharmarajika Stupa.JPG|Dharmarajika Stupa, from the pre-Ashokan period, as it appeared in 2007
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:Brahmi pillar inscription in Sarnath.jpg|[[Brahmi script|Brahmi]] inscription on the main pillar of Ashoka at Sarnath
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: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 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 depicting the Maras attempting to distract the Buddha from gaining enlightenment
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>

== Footnotes ==
{{reflist|group=note}}

== References ==
{{reflist|30em}}

==Cited works==
*{{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}}
*{{cite book | last=Auer | first=Blain | last2=Strauch | first2=Ingo | title=Encountering Buddhism and Islam in Premodern Central and South Asia | publisher=Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG | date=2019-08-19 | isbn=978-3-11-062986-6}}
*{{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}}
*{{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|author-link=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|author-link=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|access-date=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|author-link=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|author-link=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|author-link=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}}
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*{{cite book|last=Schumann|first=Hans Wolfgang|author-link=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|author-link=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}}
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*{{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 book | last=Verardi | first=Giovanni | title=Hardships and Downfall of Buddhism in India | publisher=Manohar Publishers & Distributors | date=2011 | isbn=978-81-7304-928-6}}
*{{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}}
*{{usurped|1=[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}}

[[Category:Buddhist pilgrimage sites in India]]
[[Category:Buddhist sites in Uttar Pradesh]]
[[Category:Census towns in Varanasi district]]
[[Category:Early Buddhism]]
[[Category:Former populated places in India]]
[[Category:Gautama Buddha]]
[[Category:Jain temples in Uttar Pradesh]]
[[Category:Sarnath|Sarnath]]
[[Category:Varanasi district]]
[[Category:Deer in Buddhism]]