The Dhamek Stupa is a very large stupa built on the archaeological site of Sarnath. This is the very place where Buddha gave his first sermon to his first five disciples, who formed the original sangha. The monuments and stupas of Sarnath were destroyed by the Turks. “Dhamek” in Sanskrit means “pondering over the law.”
The stupa is a huge, cylindrical structure made of red stone and brick, standing 43.6 meters high and 28 meters in diameter. I managed to get some great pictures of it and the gigantic religious structure. An Ashoka Pillar stands near the site, but it has now been removed and placed in the local museum. The area around the stupa has been declared a deer sanctuary, and the structure features carvings and engravings dating back to King Ashoka’s time and even the Gupta period.
The Dhamek Stupa and Dining at the UP 65 Restaurant
The stupa was built in 249 BCE by King Ashoka of the Maurya Dynasty. For Indian nationals, there is an entry fee of Rs 20, and for foreigners, it is Rs 300. It is easily accessible, and you can take an electric rickshaw ride to get to the giant stupa.
The stupa has been restored six times but is still incomplete. It has beautiful carvings of humans and birds that adorn its walls, along with writings in Brahmi script.
This site has been on UNESCO’s tentative list for over 25 years. The place is of great interest to Buddhist scholars, and monks can be seen all around Sarnath as they come here for spiritual knowledge.
After soaking in the energy from the stupa, we thought we should look for a good place to have dinner. Food had been rather disappointing in this city, but after asking a few locals, we managed to find a very unique and tasty restaurant called UP 65.
Yes, that’s the name of the restaurant—UP 65—and there is a reason for it. The number 65 features as the motorcycle number for all the motorcycles in the city of Sarnath. All of them have 65 on their number plates, which is why the restaurant is named UP 65.
I enjoyed the finest Dhaba meat and dal makhani at this fabulous restaurant. The taste of the food was exactly what I wanted, and I was delighted to finally find some good food in Sarnath, which was a great relief.
I recommend UP 65 to all foodies and tourists who want to enjoy good non-veg and Mughlai food in Sarnath. I was also pleasantly surprised by how well-lit, clean, and modern the roads and streets of this city are. The city is well-kept, and there are a lot of AC buses that facilitate tourists, making it easy to travel freely across the city’s sites. There are signs everywhere, along with plenty of eateries and roadside food joints to cater to tourists from all across the state and even the Buddhist world. I was impressed with the efficiency of the city and recommend all travel enthusiasts to add Sarnath to their bucket list.
