Today was our third day in Sarnath City, and we were now fully immersed in Buddhist religion and tradition. I have been quite impressed with the city; it is a place that has a lot of facilities for tourists. Apart from daily tour buses, efficient tour guides, ATM facilities, and banks, what impressed me most were the signages and how efficiently all the Buddhist temples were labeled. The history and background of each temple and stupa were clearly engraved on stone tablets and signboards, which described the importance of each site in the city.
Wat Thai: Sarnath
Today we started our excursions from the Wat Thai temple. “Wat” means temple in Thailand. Wat Thai is a Hinayana Buddhist temple established in 1971. It is a testament to Thai temple design, including a unique roof in the traditional Thai style. The temple houses a Buddha statue made of Chunar sandstone, which stands 80 feet and 9 inches tall. This statue is mounted on an octagonal base with carvings and is capped by a lotus flower placed at the feet of the Buddha. There are running fountains with blooming lotus flowers as one approaches this gigantic statue, which is so large that it can be seen from the road itself.
The entire place is surrounded by lush green lawns, where one can enjoy a leisurely walk. The complex is peaceful and meditative, and I enjoyed walking all around the Buddha statue.
I took a few rounds of the temple, sipping Coke and eating ice cream. The other major building in the complex is the shrine, also known as the Vihar. It is built from red brick and sandstone, with a sloping rooftop and gable ends. The chamber contains a large statue of the Golden Buddha, surrounded by several smaller Buddha statues.
There is no entry fee, and the temple is open from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. What I enjoyed most was the silence and spaciousness of this complex. The entire complex spans across 2.5 acres of land. The original idea for the temple was conceived by Rashmi Shasan, a Buddhist monk of Indian origin.
The cutting and polishing of the huge sandstone Buddha took five years. This is a must-see temple for all tourists visiting Sarnath. It is also a great place to take pictures and enjoy the silence of the Buddha.
