Sarnath

Trip: Delhi - Lucknow - Varanasi - Sarnath - Delhi

• Best time to visit Sarnath is November-February. The site demands long walks and summers can be sweaty.
• While the main stupa and remains of Ashoka Pillar are significant attractions, the star attraction is the head of Ashoka Pillar preserved in the Archeological Museum next to the excavation site.
• The adjacent Digambar Jain Temple is dedicated as birth place of 11th Jain Tirthankara Shreyanshnath and has beautiful artwork on the walls.

Sarnath treasures some of the most vital symbols of Indian heritage and it was a pleasant surprise to witness them during the few hours we stayed there. Less than half hour from Varanasi and home to one of the largest buddhist establishments in the world, Sarnath is part of history textbooks. The highlight of our trip was the archeological museum which has as good a collection as I have seen across the world.

Stupa @ Sarnath

We reached Sarnath in the afternoon and decided to take the peripheral tour of excavation site. This area holds the stupa and the famed Ashoka Pillar among the remnants of monasteries that were inhabited more than two thousand years ago. The place is surprisingly well preserved. It was a warm afternoon as we had to take regular halts to not tire ourselves. The glass cased remains of Ashoka Pillar was just a glimpse of the centrepiece of Sarnath.

Remains of Ashoka Pillar

We moved to the archeological museum. There was elaborate security at the gates. Mobile phones and baggage are not allowed. As we entered we understood why. The centrepiece of Sarnath is a gigantic four headed lion statue, shining and in all its glory, symbol of Indian republic and representative of government seal. It was a feeling of pride to witness a key relic of Indian heritage. We observed it for quite a while before moving for other artefacts.

Excavation site, Sarnath

The Archeological Museum at Sarnath is among the best I have seen in India. Closest that come to it are the National Museum, Delhi and State Museum, Bhopal. There are collections of Lord Buddha in several poses, well preserved and well described in one wing. Another wing is dedicated to Hindu Gods with stories around them. It took us an hour to quickly scour through them. We were massively impressed.

Jain Temple, Sarnath

Behind the excavation site, there is a small Jain temple dedicated to the 11th Jain guru. Further down the road there is a Buddhist temple with exquisite murals on its wall. The same temple leads to the deer park that surrounds the excavation site. We rested a while here and then explored some shops for famous banarasi saree. We were already hungry and settled at a nearby restaurant. It was time to depart from Sarnath and Varanasi.