Sarnath

Sarnath is where the Buddha gave his first teaching after attaining enlightenment — the First Turning of the Wheel of Dharma — to his first five disciples. The Dhamek Stupa marks the spot of this event and is one of the most important Buddhist monuments in the world. The Isipatana deer park where the teaching occurred is now an archaeological park containing the ruins of ancient monasteries, stupas, and the Ashoka pillar whose lion capital became the national emblem of India. The Mulagandhakuti Vihara, a large modern temple built by the Maha Bodhi Society, contains beautiful frescos of the Buddha’s life. Sarnath represents the beginning of the Buddha’s teaching activity and the founding of the Sangha.