Through the heartland of India – Episode-3 Sarnath: Where Silence Speaks and History Breathes

 

Through the heartland of India – Episode-3

Sarnath: Where Silence Speaks and History Breathes

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Sarnath is a peaceful and beautiful village located ten kilometers northeast of the bustling and festive city of Varanasi. It is here that Gautama Buddha, who attained enlightenment under a banyan tree in Gaya, Bihar, arrived after days of walking. In this serene landscape, he met the five ascetics who had once accompanied him and delivered his first sermon, setting in motion the Wheel of Dharma and laying the foundation of the Buddhist monastic order.

As soon as you turn towards Sarnath from National Highway 31—which stretches from Unnao in Uttar Pradesh to Malda in Bengal—a calming stillness descends upon the mind. Lush trees and gardens flank both sides of the road, guiding you toward a world of meditation and peace. The village is uncrowded, yet it welcomes visitors from across India and abroad every day.

Ragesh parked the car in the designated parking area. From here, one must explore on foot. Local guides, trained remarkably well, stand ready to assist visitors. They do not demand any fixed fee for their service; instead, they accept contributions as Buddhist monks accept alms. Our guide was Raju Bharadwaj—a short man with pan covered red lips, a cheerful smile, and an infectious enthusiasm. He began narrating the history and spiritual significance of Sarnath.

Sarnath is one of the four most important Buddhist pilgrimage sites in the world. The sacred quartet includes Lumbini in Nepal, where Buddha was born; Bodh Gaya in Bihar, where he attained enlightenment; Sarnath, where he delivered the first sermon; and Kushinagar in Gorakhpur, where he attained Mahaparinirvana. In ancient times, Sarnath was known as Mrigadava and Isipatana. Emperor Ashoka, the great patron of Buddhism in the 3rd century BCE, visited Sarnath in 250 BCE and constructed stupas, monasteries, and pillars here. Excavations initiated by British scholars in the late 18th century revealed its immense historical significance. The Kushana and Gupta periods (1st to 6th century CE) marked the golden age of Sarnath, when Buddhist art and architecture flourished.

The Buddha Garden and the Standing Statue

Raju first guided us to a beautifully landscaped flower garden that houses a towering statue of the standing Buddha. Modeled after the Bamiyan Buddha of Afghanistan—destroyed by the Taliban in 2001—the statue stands 80 feet 8 inches tall, made from 280 stones brought from Bangkok. Thailand also contributed two crore rupees towards its construction. When we arrived, repair work was underway following lightning damage.

The largest single-stone Buddha statue, Raju told us, is at Hussain Sagar in Hyderabad. The Sarnath garden itself is dotted with smaller Buddha statues, serene ponds filled with lotus and water lilies, and an assortment of trees including jackfruit. A model of the Ashoka Pillar is also displayed here. Groups of devotees from Thailand, Malaysia, Bhutan, and other countries moved quietly through the garden. The cleanliness and discipline maintained throughout Sarnath are truly admirable and linger in the memory. Here, one feels connected to the Buddha directly, without priests or intermediaries.

Dhamek Stupa and Ancient Structures

The Dhamek Stupa, built during the reign of Ashoka, marks the sacred spot where Buddha delivered his first sermon. This 43.6-meter-high cylindrical structure contains intricately carved floral and geometric patterns from the Gupta period. The main shrine marking this holy spot is the Mulagandha Kuti, also called Chaukhandi because of its four-sided base. The octagonal tower now standing atop it was built in 1588 CE by Gokarna, son of Emperor Akbar’s minister Todar Mal, to commemorate Emperor Humayun’s visit. The original stupa, 93 feet tall, was later buried under layers of soil following the decline of Buddhism in India. Excavations have revealed remnants of outer, inner, and transverse walls, along with traces of classical Gupta art depicting Buddha turning the Dharmachakra.

Chinese pilgrims such as Fa-Hian and Hiuen Tsang visited Sarnath and recorded its grandeur. The site continued to thrive as a major Buddhist center until the 12th century, when it was destroyed by Turkish invaders and gradually fell into oblivion.

The Dharmarajika Stupa is one of the many stupas built by Ashoka to house relics of the Buddha—fragments of bone, hair, and personal belongings. It was demolished in 1794 by officials unaware of its importance, leaving only the foundation.

The remains of the original Ashoka Pillar also stand here. Its lion capital—once atop this pillar—is now India’s national emblem. Excavations have uncovered the remains of monasteries built from the Mauryan period up to the Pala era.

Temples, Viharas, and the Museum

The Archaeological Museum, established in 1910, contains invaluable objects unearthed from Sarnath, including the original Ashoka lion capital and sculptures depicting the Buddha’s first sermon. Unfortunately, it was closed on the day of our visit.

Modern Sarnath houses temples and monasteries built by Buddhist communities from various parts of the world—the Thai temple Wat Thai, the Tibetan Ladhan Chotrul Monlam Chenmo, the Japanese Nichigai Susan Horinji, and the Digambara Jain temple dedicated to the 11th Tirthankara, Shreyansanatha.

The main temple, built in Bangkok style, enshrines a nine-foot fifteen-inch statue of Buddha carved from a single stone. A Bodhi tree sapling, descended from the original brought to Sri Lanka by Ashoka’s daughter Sanghamitta, grows here. Beneath it stands a Buddha idol made of plaster of Paris. A meditation center lies below the temple, accessible only to monks. Nearly ten thousand Buddhist monks reside within a five-kilometer radius of Sarnath. The temples generally open at eight in the morning and close at 4:15 p.m. Almost every compound here features a pond, a garden, and a Buddha statue. In the Thai temple, writings in Thai script can be seen, and Buddha’s teachings are broadcast through speakers.

The Weavers of Sarnath

Raj mentioned that the most famous Banarasi paan is Bachu’s paan at Keshav Paan Bhandar, opposite Banaras Hindu University. Banaras mangoes, bangles, and chaat are also popular, gaining even more fame after they were served at Anant Ambani’s wedding.

A handloom society in Sarnath sells authentic Banarasi products directly from the weavers, without middlemen. Sarees start at ₹600 and come with an 18-month guarantee. We visited the center, where the veteran weaver Alimulla demonstrated how silk products are made. He was crafting a stunning silk-thread calendar of Goddess Saraswati. With over fifty years of experience, Alimulla is cheerful and friendly—always accompanied by the fragrance of paan. “Paan comes from Kolkata, silk from Bangalore,” he said with a smile.

The place was crowded with people purchasing Banarasi silk. Both Radhakrishnan and I bought a saree.

Anagarika Dharmapala and the Revival of Buddhism

Our next stop was the monastery of Anagarika Dharmapala, also known as the “Guardian of the Law.” Founder of the Mahabodhi Society, Dharmapala played a decisive role in reviving Buddhism after centuries of decline. Born in Sri Lanka on September 17, 1864, he reached Sarnath in 1891. Deeply moved by its neglected state, he dedicated his life to restoring Sarnath and Bodh Gaya, and promoting Buddhism across the world. Supported by Buddhist rulers and philanthropists, he succeeded in breathing new life into the ancient religion.

Dharmapala represented Buddhism at the 1893 Parliament of the World’s Religions in Chicago—where Swami Vivekananda also spoke. In 1923, at the behest of the British, the Sri Dharmarajika Chetiya Vihara was built in Calcutta, and in 1931, the new  Mulagandha Kuti Vihara was established in Sarnath. After renouncing all possessions, he adopted the name Sri Devamitta Dharmapala and continued traveling tirelessly. He passed away on April 29, 1933, expressing a wish to be reborn in India twenty-five times to serve Buddhism.

The presence of Buddhist scriptures in multiple languages across Sarnath reflects the deep impact of Buddhism in Japan, China, and Southeast Asia.

A Reflection

Buddhism once shone like the sun when parts of Hindu society were weighed down by social stagnation. Though Buddhism later declined in India due to the resurgence of Hinduism and the rise of Islam and Christianity, its flame never completely died. Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, in adopting Buddhism as a protest against caste discrimination, rekindled this flame—one that still burns quietly in many places.

 On our way back, we stopped at the Munshi Premchand Memorial in Lamhi. Lamhi is a quintessential North Indian village. We arrived there with memories of reading Premchand’s novels such as Godan, Gaban, and his short stories that inspired the freedom struggle. An arch bearing his name stood on the main road. However, the memorial itself left us disappointed.

The site includes his two-storey family house, a writing room, and a library. The house was in ruins and inaccessible due to ongoing renovation. We could only view the writing room and the library from the outside. After taking a photograph in front of Munshi Premchand’s statue, we returned.

Let us hope the authorities will give this memorial the attention and care it truly deserves in the future.

After resting at the hotel, we went for a walk. Under a flyover, we discovered a unique space enclosed in glass and converted into a small academy for table tennis and chess, complete with a toilet facility. In a nearby bookstore, a sign announced that Kerala school textbooks were available. The shopkeeper explained that a school in Varanasi follows a private Kerala syllabus—likely run by Malayalees.

Our next destination is Bodh Gaya, and the journey begins tomorrow morning.