The five disciples who had followed him
were surprised to see the mesmerizing glowing countenance of Buddha, who convinced
them and delivered his first sermon before them, now termed Dharamachakra
Pravartan.
This set in motion the great Buddhist tradition of the
Sangha, for
popularising the teachings of the great ascetic, world-wide.
Gautam Buddha with his five
disciples formed the first Sangha along with Yasa of Varanasi and his 54 friends.
The beginning of the celebrated
Mantra, ‘Buddham Sharanam Gachhami’, owes its origin to
Sarnath. The three
Jewels
-
I go for refuge to the Buddha,
-
I
go for refuge to the Wheel of Law,
-
I go for refuge to the Sangha”
first laid down here, have
remained unchanged ever since. Hence rightly, every Buddhist Pilgrim after
Bodhgaya, endeavours to be blessed with a visit to Sarnath in his life time.
Dhamekh Stupa bears particular
significance at Sarnath as it signifies the “seat of the holy Buddha”, as he
proclaimed his faith. It is about 34 mtrs. in height and including the
foundations, it can be measured upto 42 mtrs. Besides Dhamekh
Stupa, Sarnath also
has the ruins of Dharmajajika Stupa and that of the original
Mulgandhakuti
Temple
which according to Hieun Tsang was about 61 mtrs. high. Buddha is said to have
rested and meditated here while in Sarnath.
Emperor Ashoka (273-232 B.C.),
converted to Buddhism after the Kalinga war and also visited Sarnath. A smooth
glistening stone pillar, called the Ashoka Pillar commemorates his visit and laid
the foundation of the Buddhist Sangha here. The Lion Capital on top of this pillar
is now the National Emblem of India.
The Chaukhandi Stupa was
originally a terraced temple during the Gupta period (4th to 6thCentury).
However in 1588 A.D., Govardhan, the son of Raja Todarmal, built an octagonal
tower to commemorate the visit of Humayun-father of Akbar. Govardhan later went on
to become the Governor under Akbar’s rule.
Similarly
Akbar, the great Mughal
Emperor who revered all religions alike, raised the Chaukhandi Stupa in 1555 A.D.
The best time to visit :- The best
time to visit Sarnath is between October
to March
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By
Air |
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he Nearest Airport is at Varanasi . |
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By
Train |
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The nearest Rail Head is at Varanasi |
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By
Road |
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Sarnath
is 10
Km from Varanasi,140 Km Allahabad 320 Km from Lucknow |
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