Places to Visit in Sarnath

Top attractions and must-see spots in Sarnath

  • Ashoka Pillar Ruins

    Remains of Emperor Ashoka's 3rd century BCE pillar at Sarnath, whose Lion Capital became India's National Emblem.

  • Burmese Monastery (Dharmodaya Sabha)

    Burmese Theravada monastery near the Dhamek Stupa, with resident monks from Myanmar.

  • Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies

    Tibetan studies university in Sarnath with a library of rare texts and a museum of Tibetan art.

  • Chaukhandi Stupa

    The stupa at Sarnath marking where Buddha first met his five disciples after enlightenment, with a Mughal octagonal tower added in the 16th century.

  • Chinese Temple (Chini Mandir)

    Chinese Buddhist temple near the Dhamek Stupa, with pagoda-style roofs and dragon motifs.

  • Dhamek Stupa

    A 43-metre Gupta period stupa at Sarnath marking where Buddha delivered his first sermon, covered in intricate carvings and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

  • Dharmarajika Stupa

    An original Ashokan stupa at Sarnath, largely demolished in 1794 for building material, with only its circular base surviving as an important archaeological remnant.

  • Digambar Jain Temple

    Digambar Jain temple marking the birthplace of Shreyansanath, the 11th Tirthankara.

  • Japanese Temple (Nichigai Suzan Horinji)

    A Japanese Nichiren Buddhist temple near Sarnath's Dhamek Stupa, reflecting the international pilgrimage significance of the site of Buddha's first sermon.

  • Korean Temple (Koreana Buddhist Temple)

    Korean Buddhist temple in Sarnath's international monastery area.

  • Mulagandha Kuti Vihar

    A 1931 Buddhist temple at Sarnath adorned with magnificent Japanese frescoes of the Buddha's life, housing genuine relics and a Bodhi tree sapling.

  • Sarnath Archaeological Museum

    India's oldest site museum at Sarnath, housing the original Lion Capital of Ashoka (India's National Emblem) and a masterpiece Gupta standing Buddha.

  • Sarnath Archaeological Ruins Complex

    Excavated monastery and stupa foundations around the Dhamek Stupa, from Mauryan to Gupta times.

  • Sarnath Deer Park (Mrigadava)

    The sacred deer grove at Sarnath where Buddha delivered his first sermon, with ancient ruins and deer still present today.

  • Sarnath Garden

    ASI-maintained lawns and paths around Sarnath's stupas, quietest early in the morning.

  • Thai Temple (Wat Thai Sarnath)

    A Thai government Buddhist temple at Sarnath featuring gilded Thai-style architecture, part of the remarkable international monastery complex at Buddha's first sermon site.

  • Tibetan Temple & Monastery

    A Tibetan monastery at Sarnath with colourful murals of Buddhist cosmology, prayer wheels, and daily monk ceremonies at the site of Buddha's first sermon.

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