It is a Buddhist heritage site located near Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh.

  • Recently, it became India’s 45th UNESCO World Heritage Site

Fact To Know

  • The location where Buddha delivered his first sermon.
  • Tied to the Mauryan period and the spread of Buddhism.
  • The Lion Capital of the Sarnath pillar was adopted as the National emblem of India.

Architectural Significance

  • Ashokan Pillar and its Lion Capital were erected here as a memorial for Buddha’s first sermon by Ashoka.
  • The famous Gupta period (5th cent CE) sculpture of the Buddha Shakyamuni in the Dharmachakra Pravartana mudra was uncovered during the excavations at Sarnath
  • The Dhamek Stupa is a huge stupa in Sarnath.

 

Source: The Indian Express

📄 Download PDF