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One of the most venerated Buddhist destinations, Sarnath in Uttar Pradesh state of India is considered one of the four prime destinations for Buddhist pilgrimage in India. Besides Buddhism, Sarnath is also connected with Jainism. The place where Lord Buddha had delivered his first sermon after attaining enlightenment, Sarnath is home to several tourist attractions that are worth visiting while on tour to Sarnath in Uttar Pradesh. The Monuments in Sarnath Uttar Pradesh rank prime among the manifold tourist attractions of the holy town.
There are numerous Buddhist edifices and monuments in Sarnath Uttar Pradesh. These ancient architectural structures draw hoards of tourists to Sarnath from all around the world. The Monuments in Sarnath India are exemplary embodiments of the glorious architectural heritage of the ancient past. Ruins of these Sarnath monuments have continued to fascinate art lovers and pilgrims for centuries.
The ‘Chaukhandi Stupa’ on the way to the Deer Park is a monument built to commemorate the spot where the Buddha had met the five ascetics whom he later preached his first sermon.
Each of the monuments in Sarnath Uttar Pradesh narrates a distinctive story from the pages of its history book. Some of the important Buddhist monuments in Sarnath include the Dhamek Stupa, Chaukhandi Stupa, and several monasteries of different schools of Buddhism from Japan, China, Thailand, Burma and other countries.
In the 3rd century B.C., Emperor Ashoka – the great Maurya ruler was believed to have built a number of monuments in Sarnath Uttar Pradesh, which included the famous Ashokan Pillar with the lion capital, the Dharmarajika Stupa and the Dhamek Stupa. The lion capital is now the National Emblem of India. The impressive ruins of all these ancient monuments can be witnessed even today.
During the Golden Age of Gupta King Chandragupta II (376-414 A.D.), Sarnath developed as a flourishing center of art and culture. This prosperity continued till 1017 A.D., when Mahmood Gajni began plunder and destruction of all monuments in Sarnath Uttar Pradesh. These monuments were extensively plundered for building materials and have been lying in ruins since then, until Angarik Dharampal – a Srilankan Buddhist disciple restored the ruins and revived Sarnath’s importance in the world. .
The monuments in Sarnath Uttar Pradesh are not just stone and brick structures, but they are the living examples through the ruins of which we can go back in time and explore the history of India.
While on tours to Sarnath Uttar Pradesh you will see several stupas, excavated ruins of age old monasteries, the deer park besides the various monuments in Sarnath Uttar Pradesh. You can even embark on short excursion tours to Varanasi and other major tourist destinations in the vicinity of Sarnath.
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