Sarnath

Only eight miles from Varanasi is an auspicious Hindu site known as Sarnath, a deer park where the Buddha (as Siddhartha) is believed to have made his first public sermon to his disciples after achieving enlightenment. Here, he revealed the Buddhist Doctrine, or the eight-fold path. It is also one of the few locations where three different kinds of stupa (a type of Buddhist shrine)—votive, commemorative, and relic—all exist in one place, and it is the location of an important Jain temple, Shri Digambar.

There is a small but excellent archaeological museum on site that displays the lion capital from the Ashoka Pillar, which was erected in Sarnath and then broken during Turkish invasions. The Ashoka pillar is an important image of Indian Independence and is pictured today on the national flag.

Indagare can arrange an expert tour guide to lead you through these historical sites.