NEWS

• India has officially nominated Sarnath, near Varanasi, for the UNESCO World Heritage List for the 2025–26 cycle.
• This could end the site’s 27-year wait on the tentative list, highlighting its global cultural significance.

HIGHLIGHTS

ASI to Install ‘Corrected’ Plaque

• Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) plans to revise the plaque at Sarnath to credit Babu Jagat Singh, a local ruler’s descendant, for bringing the site to light in 1787–88.
• Current plaque attributes discovery to British officers (1798) and later archaeologists, including Alexander Cunningham and Sir John Marshall.
• ASI Director-General Yadubir Rawat confirmed that the year and credit will be corrected based on historical evidence.
• Earlier, ASI had also corrected a plaque at Dharmarajika Stupa to remove descriptions portraying Jagat Singh negatively.

Historical Significance of Sarnath

• Sarnath is the site of Lord Buddha’s first sermon, known as Dharmachakrapravartana (“Turning of the Wheel of Dharma”).
• The site illustrates ancient Buddhist architecture, including stupas, and is integral to the Buddhist circuit promoted by the Indian government.
• Stupas served as commemorative monuments, housing relics and promoting spiritual teachings.

Government Initiatives

• India is actively positioning itself as the “Land of Buddha” globally.
• Measures include protecting Buddhist relics; for example, legal notices were issued to Sotheby’s Hong Kong to halt the auction of Buddhist artifacts.

Buddhism in India

• Founded by Siddhartha Gautama in the 6th century BCE, Buddhism emerged as a reformist movement against ritualistic practices of the time.
• The Buddha’s first sermon near Varanasi offered a path to liberation from the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth.
• Key texts include the Pali Canon, Mahavastu, and Buddhacharita.