News: At the 48th Session of the World Heritage Committee (Busan, South Korea), Sarnath was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
About
- A serial World Heritage property and one of the four principal Buddhist pilgrimage sites.
- It became India's 45th UNESCO World Heritage Site, making India 6th globally and 2nd in the Asia-Pacific region in terms of the total number of UNESCO sites.
- Inscribed under:
- Criterion (iii): Outstanding testimony to a living spiritual tradition.
- Criterion (vi): Direct association with Buddha's First Sermon (Dharmachakra Pravartana) and the establishment of the Buddhist Sangha
- Location: Sarnath, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh.
- Components: Chaukhandi Stupa
Archaeological Remains of Sarnath, including:
- Dhamekh Stupa
- Dharmarajika Stupa
- Mulagandhakuti Vihara
- Ashokan Pillar Site
Historical Significance
- Ancient names: Rishipatana, Ishipatana, Mrigadava.
- 6th Century BCE: Gautama Buddha delivered his First Sermon (Turning of the Wheel of the Law) here.
- Introduced the Noble Eightfold Path and Triratna.
- Flourished from the pre-Mauryan period until its decline in the 12th century CE.
- Rediscovered in the 18th century; excavated by the ASI for over 150 years.
Architectural Highlights
- Dhamekh & Chaukhandi Stupas mark important events in Buddha's life.
- Ashokan Pillar with the Lion Capital, later adopted as the National Emblem of India.
- Remains of ancient Viharas from the Mauryan, Kushan, and Gupta periods.
Famous Gupta-era Dharmachakrapravartan Buddha statue, preserved in India's earliest site museum (Sarnath Museum, 1904).