12 Top Tourist Places to Visit in Sarnath

At a distance of 2 km from Sarnath Railway Station, and 8 km from Varanasi Junction, Chaukhandi Stupa is an ancient monument located in the heart of Sarnath. It is one of the notable monuments of the Buddhist culture, and among the must include places in Sarnath Tour Packages.

Chaukhandi Stupa is the first monument to encounters as one enters Sarnath. This ancient Buddhist site has evolved from burial mounds and served as a shrine for a relic of Buddha. Originally, the Chaukhandi Stupa has been built as a terraced temple during the Gupta period between the 4th and 6th centuries to mark the site where Lord Buddha first met a group of five ascetics to whom he later went on to preach his first teachings. Later Govardhan, the son of a Raja Todar Mal, the governor under Emperor Akbar, modified the stupa to its present shape in the year 1588 CE to commemorate the visit of Emperor Humayun to Sarnath.

It is a lofty mound of brickwork whose square edifice is surrounded by an octagonal .....

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At a distance of 1 km from Chaukandi Stupa, 1.5 km from Sarnath Railway Station, and 9 km from Varanasi Junction, Dhamek Stupa, also spelled Dhamekh and Dhamekha, is a massive stupa located at Sarnath in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. Within the complex of Archaeological Remains of Sarnath, it is one of the popular Buddhist monuments in Sarnath and among the must-visit places as part of Varanasi Tour Packages.

Dhamek Stupa is one of the most important sights in Sarnath as it marks the exact spot where Lord Buddha preached the first sermon to His five disciples after attaining enlightenment in Bodh Gaya. In several of the ancient sources, the site of the first sermon is mentioned to have been at a ??Mriga-Dayaa-Vanam?? or a sanctuary for animals. After the parinirvana of Lord Buddha, his mortal remains were cremated and the ashes divided and buried under eight mounds with two further mounds encasing the urn and the embers. Little is known about these early stupas, particularly .....

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At a distance of 500 m from Dhamek Stupa, 1.5 km from Sarnath Railway Station, and 9 km from Varanasi Junction, Archaeological Museum is a museum located in Sarnath. Just beside the Archaeological Remains Complex, it is one of the popular museums in Varanasi, and among the top places to visit in Sarnath.

Popularly called as Sarnath Museum, the Archaeological Museum in Sarnath was established in the year 1910 CE by Sir John Marshall, the then Director-General of Archaeology in India. It was constructed just adjacent to the excavated site at Sarnath to keep the antiquities found from the site. The museum building was started in 1904 and was completed in 1910. It is the oldest site museum of the Archaeological Survey of India. As the findings are mostly from Buddhist monasteries or vihar, the plan of the building was designed by James Ransome on the pattern of a Sangharam or a vihar. The whole building is made of sandstone with a flat roof.

The museum contains five galleries .....

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At a distance of 1.5 km from Sarnath Railway Station, and 9 km from Varanasi Junction, Archaeological Buddhist Remains or Monastery Ruins is an excavated site in Sarnath. Just Beside Archaeological Museum, it is one of the popular archaeological sites in India, and among the must-visit Sarnath Tourist Places.

The Archaeological Remains of Sarnath started attracting the scholars since the 19th Century. As a result excavation works of Sarnath started first of all by Sir Alexander Cunningham (1835-36), Major Kittoe (1851-52), Mr. C. Horne (1865), Mr. F.O. Oertal (1904-05), Sir Johan Marshal (1907), Mr. H. Hargreaves (1914-15), Mr. Daya Ram Shani (1927-32). Then after a gap of about 82 years once again excavation work is conducted by Sarnath Circle, Sarnath of Archaeological Survey of India.

The colossal ruins lie in the same compound as Dhamek Stupa. The excavation sites of Sarnath have impressive collections of monasteries, stupas, temples, inscriptions, sculptures, and other .....

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At a distance of 1 km from Dhamek Stupa, 1.5 km from Sarnath Railway Station, and 9 km from Varanasi Junction, Mulagandha Kuti Vihar is a modern Buddhist Monastery situated in Sarnath. It is one of the popular Buddhist temples in Sarnath and among the prominent places to visit in Sarnath.

Situated near the main chowk of Sarnath, the Mulagandha Kuti Vihar is basically a monastery and temple which was built in 1931 by Angarika Dharmapala, the founder of Mahabodhi society and is still maintained and run by the Mahabodhi Society. Brimming in history and soaked in spirituality, it was built to commemorate the original Mulagandha Kuti Vihar located in the Archaeological Remains of Sarnath.

The Buddhist temple in Sarnath stands out because of its unique architectural design that boasts some intricate designs and patterns that are altogether a delight for every art and history lover. There are spires on top of the huge building that make it seem like a church. The entrance foyer is .....

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At a distance of 1.5 km from Sarnath Railway Station, and 9 km from Varanasi Junction, Wat Thai Sarnath Temple is a Buddhist temple in Sarnath. Situated near Archaeological Museum, it is one of the popular Buddhist temples in Sarnath and among the prominent places to visit in Sarnath.

Popularly known as the Thai Temple, Wat Thai Sarnath Temple was built by Thai dignitaries in the year 1933. Adorned with manicured gardens, the Thai Temple is built in the Thai architectural style and is managed by Thai Buddhist Monks. Just before the entrance of the main temple, there are images of laughing Buddha along with an enactment of Lord Buddha delivering a sermon to his disciples. Another statue of Lord Buddha in Bhumisparsha mudra can be seen in the temple.

An important highlight of the Thai Temple in Sarnath is the 80-foot tall image of Buddha in a standing position. The construction of the statue is said to have taken more than a decade. There are running fountains with blooming lotus .....

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At a distance of 1 km from Sarnath Railway Station, and 9 km from Varanasi Junction, Tibetan Temple is a Buddhist monastery and temple located in Sarnath, Uttar Pradesh. It is one of the popular Buddhist temples in Sarnath and among the prominent places to visit in Sarnath as part of the Buddhist Pilgrimage Tour in India.

Built-in 1955, Tibetan Temple is one of the highly revered places of pilgrimage in Sarnath. The Tibetan temple is presently under the administration of Lhadhan Chotrul Monlam Chenmo Trust. Built-in a traditional Tibetan architectural design, the temple includes some striking features. The entrance of the temple is guarded and beautifully adorned with intricate carvings of two lions. Inside the large open compound, one can see a light pink stupa built by the Tibetans to show their gratitude to the Indian Government for giving asylum to the fleeing Dalai Lama. It also denotes to pay tribute to all those who died in the freedom struggle of Tibet and those who continue .....

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At a distance of 2 km from Sarnath Railway Station, and 8 km from Varanasi Junction, Deer Park, or Istipana is a spiritual place as well as a mini-zoo in Sarnath, Uttar Pradesh. Situated just behind the Mulagandha Kiti Vihar, it is one of the prominent tourist places to visit in Sarnath.

Sarnath is home to some of the most extensive ruins amongst sacred Buddhist sites. Several stupas excavated ruins of age-old monasteries, temples, museums, gardens and various other interesting sites form prominent tourist attractions in Sarnath. The Deer Park or Isipatana is the most important among them as this is the exact site where Lord Buddha preached his first sermon to his five disciples, and where the Buddhist Sangha came into existence through the enlightenment of Kondanna.

In ancient times, Sarnath was referred to as 'Mrigadava' meaning 'deer park' and 'Ishipatna' indicating the place where holy men fell to earth. As the story goes, Buddha as an enlightened being took the form of .....

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At a distance of 500 m from Sarnath Railway Station, and 9 km from Varanasi Junction, the Japanese Temple is a Buddhist temple situated in Baraipur locality of Sarnath, Uttar Pradesh. Next to Vishwa Shanti Stupa, it is one of the popular Buddhist temples in Sarnath and among the prominent places to visit in Sarnath.

Japenese Temple is a uniquely built Buddhist pilgrimage site in Sarnath and is managed by the Dharmachakra Indo-Japan Buddhist Cultural Society. The original name of the Japanese temple is Nichigai Suzan Horinji Temple but it is commonly referred to as 'Japanese Temple' by local guides and tourists. The architecture of the temple is in a typical Japanese style which includes a double-storey pagoda. The pleasing architecture of the temple is reminiscent of the world-renowned Japanese temples in Kyoto, Japan. Just before the entrance of the main shrine, there is a statue of Lord Buddha beneath a tree on the right side. Whereas, on the left side, there is a pillar with Japanese .....

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At a distance of 500 m from Sarnath Railway Station, and 9 km from Varanasi Junction, the Chinese Temple is a Buddhist temple situated in Sarnath, Uttar Pradesh. Next to Mulagandha Kuti Vihar, it is one of the popular Buddhist temples in Sarnath and among the prominent Sarnath tourist places.

The Chinese Buddhist Temple in Sarnath was established in 1939 by the abbot of Beijing, Tao-Kai, and the president of the Eastern Asian Buddhist association, Fa-Yuan-Tsu. The gate and compound wall were erected in 1952. The building is in a bright shade of red and yellow and has beautiful Chinese designs. Inside the Chinese Temple, one can see various statues of different sizes and the Chinese lanterns hanging on the walls.

There is a huge map of the route taken by the Chinese scholar Hiuen-Tsang in the 7th Century AD in the time of the great king Harshavardhana. An important feature of the Chinese Temple is the representation of the life of Buddha through photos and write-ups in Hindi, .....

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At a distance of 2 km from Sarnath Railway Station, and 8 km from Varanasi Junction, the Garden of Spiritual Wisdom is a theme-based garden located on Rishpattan Road in Sarnath, Uttar Pradesh. Situated just behind Chaukhandi Stupa, it is one of the prominent tourist places to visit in Sarnath.

The Garden of Spiritual Wisdom is the newest attraction for tourists coming to Sarnath. The garden is beautifully embellished with well-manicured gardens and a peaceful ambiance. The garden boasts a fine collection of sculptures and exhibits that depict Buddhism. The exhibits convey the essence of Indian spirituality in an easy to understand language by illustrating graphics. Proffering an exotic landscape, it is one of the best places to unwind your mind, body, and soul. The impeccable views of Chaukhandi Stupa welcome tourists as they enter the garden.

There is also a separate section in the garden that houses Ayurvedic herbal plants that are brought from different corners of the .....

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At a distance of 125 km from Allahabad, 163 km from Aurangabad, 208 km from Gorakhpur, 239 km from Rewa, 250 km from Patna, 258 km from Gaya, 321 km from Lucknow, and 327 km from Kanpur, Varanasi is an ancient city located on the banks of river Ganga in Uttar Pradesh, India. It is one among the most revered places of Pilgrimage in India and also one of the best places to visit in Uttar Pradesh.

Also known as Kashi and Banaras, the city gets its name from two rivers Varuna and Assi. Nicknamed as the cultural capital of India, Varanasi was the seat of learning in the past. Legend has it that Lord Shiva himself established this holy city as his abode. It is one of the twelve Jyotirlinga sites in India and also one of the Shakti Peethas. Varanasi is an important destination among Hindus as they believe those who die in Varanasi will attain salvation. Varanasi is also a preferred site for immersing ashes of the dead in river Ganga. Performing .....

Distance (From Sarnath): 10 Kms
Trip Duration (From Sarnath - Including Travel): Full Day
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