We decided to move early today, as in the afternoon it gets a bit hot. I wanted to see the Dhamek Stupa up close and personal, so I chose to venture inside the complex where the excavations were first made that unearthed the Stupa and the Ashoka Pillar. The national emblem of India, the Ashoka Pillar, can be seen in this compound. It is almost 50 meters in height, and along with the Stupa, it was a gift from Ashoka to the Buddhist faith.

 The Dhamek Stupa and The Ashoka Pillar: Sarnath

There is a distinct difference between a Stupa and a Pillar. The Stupa is a religious structure with relics stored inside, and it has religious symbolism. A column is a pillar made of stone with engravings, primarily used for administrative and commemorative purposes. The Dhamek Stupa was built in 249 B.C. by Emperor Ashoka the Great of the Mauryan Dynasty during his reign when he ruled the entire Indian subcontinent.

It is believed that the Stupa contains the ashes of the Buddha. The name Sarnath comes from the word *Saranganatha*, meaning “lord of the deer.” The Stupa is in the middle of an excavation site. Sarnath remained abandoned until 1834, when Alexander Cunningham excavated the site and restored it for tourists. One can see the entire site for a fee of Rs 100. There are a few restaurants nearby, as well as shops selling water and cold drinks. The best way to explore the excavations is on foot.

The Dhamek Stupa is cylindrical in shape and built with red bricks and Chunar sandstone, with the lower part being entirely covered with carved stones. Probably, the base of the Stupa dates back to the Ashokan period. It contains eight niches facing eight directions, which possibly contained images of Buddha. The walls of the Stupa are ornamented with magnificently sculpted floral and geometrical designs that manifest a high level of craftsmanship on stone during the period of the Gupta Dynasty.

There are also Banarasi sari shops I visited—it was a novel experience watching the artisans make silk saris on handlooms. It is quite an art form.

Buddha delivered his first sermon, called *Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta*, or the “Setting in Motion the Wheel of Dharma.”

I also saw the great Ashoka Pillar, which is part of the excavation site. The pillar is made of sandstone and is almost 15 meters in height. It has a cylindrical shaft, a bell-shaped base, and a capital that consists of four lions, a wheel, and a bull, a horse, a lion, and an elephant. The four lions face the four cardinal directions and symbolize the power and majesty of Ashoka’s rule. The wheel represents the dharma, or the law of nature, that Ashoka followed and propagated. The bull, the horse, the lion, and the elephant represent the four noble truths that Buddha taught. The Ashoka Pillar is also the source of the national emblem of India, which features the four lions and the wheel.

The best time to visit Sarnath is from October to March, as the weather is cooler, and it is best to explore the site on foot. The place is full of tourists from the East who want to study and practice the teachings of Buddha.

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.

Jaunpur was a revelation, and I was really starting to get a feel for what Uttar Pradesh is all about. But my thirst for exploring Purvanchal had grown, and I, along with my friend and mate Tiwari, decided to venture further. Our next stop was the town of Sarnath, which is a two-hour taxi ride from Jaunpur.

I spent time gazing out of my window and listening to a famous song from an old Bollywood film called *Kudrat* throughout our car ride. Sarnath is a religious place, and it is very important to people of the Buddhist faith. In fact, the legend has it that Buddha gave his first sermon after enlightenment in Sarnath. He taught his first five disciples in this city itself. Thus, along with Gaya, this city is also very significant for the Buddhist faith.

Sarnath: The Land of Buddha

We managed to find a cheap hotel and, after lunch, decided to visit the city and its many monasteries and stupas. We first walked up to the Mulagandha Kuti Vihar, the very place where Buddha gave his first sermon. The Vihar has a large Buddhist temple and statues of Buddha along with his first five disciples, whose names were Ananda, Kondanna, Bhadiyya, Vaapa, Mahanaama, and Assaji. These five disciples were known as the *Panchavargika*. Buddha chose them because he felt they could understand what he had to say. He gave his sermon in a deer park in Sarnath. Buddha taught them the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path—his first teachings after he attained enlightenment.

The Vihar has a temple at its center, and there are sprawling gardens and wide walkways where families can take a walk. Don’t forget to take off your shoes when you enter the temple. As I entered, I saw a large group of Vietnamese tourists trying to meditate in front of the temple. They all seemed to be having a jolly good time.

I walked up to the statue of Buddha preaching to his disciples and took some great pictures. I also managed to make a wish by spinning the wishing wheels around the statue. The statue at the center of the temple looked majestic; it was golden in color and really stood out. The temple walls were full of paintings depicting Buddha with his disciples, and the images told the story of Buddha’s life.

Sarnath is 10 km northeast of Varanasi and is part of the Buddhist Char Dham, which includes Lumbi in Nepal, Bodh Gaya, Kushinagar, and Sarnath. The name of the city comes from a Sanskrit word that means “The Lord of Deer.” The legend has it that Buddha offered himself as a deer when a king wanted to kill a doe with his arrow. The king was so moved by this gesture that he made the entire place into a deer sanctuary.

The temples here are built and maintained by the Maha Bodhi Society, which looks after the upkeep of this religious place. The frescoes on the temple walls were created by a Japanese artist named Kosetsu Nosu and are very elaborate. Near the statue of Buddha giving his sermon is also a large bell, which is rung twice a day. The bell has carvings of Buddhist shlokas on it and is of religious significance.

Badi Masjid, also known as the Jama Mosque, was built in the 15th century and is one of the largest mosques in India. It is situated 2.2 km northeast of Jaunpur. The mosque was built by Hussain Shah Sharqi of the Jaunpur Sultanate. Prayers are performed every Friday, and it is a major tourist attraction.

The mosque is indeed vast, resembling a giant fortress. The stone walls are very sturdy and have withstood the test of time. The entire building is robust and tough. The foundation of the mosque was laid in 1438 by Ibrahim Shah, but the construction of the steps began only in 1440 after his death. It is said that Ibrahim Shah built the mosque to provide employment for local people who were suffering due to a famine at the time. The mosque was constructed in stages and was finally completed in 1473 by the last monarch, Hussain Shah.

Badi Majid, Jaunpur

The mosque stands tall at a height of 200 feet and is located in Purani Bazar, in an area called Shah Ganj. It is an important monument that reflects the architectural style of the Sharki period. The mosque is artistic, and there are 27 steps one must climb to reach it. It has a huge courtyard and a central pond where people wash their hands and feet before performing the evening prayers. When we arrived at the mosque, it was closed, but some locals opened the main gate for us, allowing us to venture inside. I walked across the courtyard, admiring the view and watching pigeons fly past me. The mosque has many pigeons flying around it.

The decorations and engravings on the walls are in an Egyptian style. The design of the stone arches and pillars is unique, and I managed to capture some great photographs. It felt peaceful, and there was hardly anyone there at the time of our visit, so I was able to fully absorb the atmosphere of the place.

Along with Lal Darwaza and Atala Masjid, this is the third most important mosque in the city and by far the largest. It is a must-see for all tourists visiting Jaunpur.

I was up a bit late today. We had to make sure that we made the last day in this city productive. Just after lunch, I headed off to the inner part of the city through the traffic of the markets and the bazaars in search of the Sheetala Mata Mandir. It is the premier temple and religious site for Hindus in the city. Many throng to the temple for prayers, and as luck would have it, we made it in time for the afternoon Arti.

I bought the customary coconut and prasad as offerings to the goddess and then walked further to reach the holy temple. It is one of the oldest temples in the city where both Shiv and Shakti are worshipped. It looks like any other Vedic temple. In the center is the Arti of the Mata, where the pujari performs the Arti every day as offerings is given to the goddess by her devotees. It is believed that the Mata was the kuldevi, and the temple was built by the Yadavs or the Bahars in her honor.

Sheetala Mata Dham Mandir, Jaunpur

The Mata devoted herself to looking after the sick children of her devotees, especially those suffering from smallpox. After she died, a temple was built in her honor. She was remembered by the villagers as Mata Masani, the goddess of smallpox.

The temple is 4 km from Jaunpur Junction and can be easily reached by auto or scooter. There is a central pond, also called a water kund, just behind the temple. Along with the central deity, there are idols of Ganesha and Bhagwan Satyanarayan as well. One can ring the large bells during the afternoon Arti as devotees sing bhajans in praise of Sheetala Mata, the goddess who cured their children of diseases, including smallpox.

The Lal Darwaza was built in 1447 by Queen V.V. Rajye Bibi, the wife of Muhammad Shah Sharki, and was dedicated to the saint Sayid Ali Dawood Kuttubudin.

The stones used in the construction of the mosque were red sandstone bought from Varanasi. These stones were taken from demolished temples in the city. Lal Darwaza Masjid also housed the palace of the Queen, and she used it as her private prayer mosque. Bibi Rajye established a religious school here, also called an Islamic madrasa, to impart religious knowledge of the Quran and other Muslim sacred texts. The madrasa still exists today and continues to educate the people living nearby.

The mosque stands in Mohollah Namaz Gah, also known as *Al-Jamia-Tul-Husania*. Later, it became a center of Islamic education, where Muslim girls were also given *taleem* (education).

The mosque has three gateways, with the eastern gate being the main and largest gate. This is a very famous monument in the city and is a major tourist attraction. It is a place that keeps the Islamic heritage of this city alive and thriving.

The Atala Masjid is an ancient 14th-century mosque in Jaunpur. It is located 300 meters from the Shahi Qila and 1 km from the Jama Masjid. William Hodge made sketches of the famous mosque and also wrote about it in his books on the city.

The height of the mosque is about 100 feet, and its perimeter is 248 feet. The central dome is 17 meters high but cannot be seen from the front, as it is covered by a tall central tower about 23 meters high.

Atala Masjid and Eating Batti Chokha

The mosque was built in 1408 by Ibrahim Shah Sharki and is the premier mosque of the city. The dome on the inside is made of circular course stone. It was built on the site of the Atala Devi temple, and much of the material from the temple was used in the construction of the mosque. The mosque has a central courtyard about 177 feet in length, and the entire mosque is square in structure. The two aisles of the tower lead into cells where travelers could stay and rest for a while as they passed through Jaunpur.

The Atala Masjid is a symbol of Indo-Islamic Sharqi architecture. It was the first mosque built after the independence of Jaunpur state from the Sharqi Dynasty, which had been established in Delhi. It was Feroz Shah from the Tughlaq Dynasty who laid the foundation for the mosque.

I had a good look at this ancient structure and felt a bit sad that it was built on top of a Hindu temple. However, this is not uncommon in this part of the world, where Mughal dynasties and powerful Hindu kings and monarchs have long jostled for power. The destruction of temples has been quite frequent here. It is only now that Hindus are rising and reclaiming their ancient sites and temples as part of the rise of the saffron brigade led by the BJP.

Jaunpur is not a very well-planned city, and there is traffic everywhere. It is advisable to use a scooter to get around in this city. After the visit to the mosque, we ventured out for a tasty lunch of Batti Chokha. The local cuisine was tasty and light, and I thoroughly enjoyed the green chutney and dal with ghee, along with paneer batti, tangy onions, and thick, rich kheer that tasted almost like rabdi.

The traditional food was the highlight of my day, and I was thrilled and quite satisfied with my adventures in this ancient city with deep Islamic and Hindu traditions.

The Shahi Qila, also known as the Jaunpur Fort, was built in the 14th century and is located very near the Gomti River and the Sahi Pul. The Rathore rulers of Kanauj sent most of the materials used to build the fort, but it was demolished multiple times during the time of the Lodi and Tughlaq dynasties. Over time, it was damaged and destroyed by these rulers.

Situated on the left bank of the Gomti River, the fort was built by Feroze Shah Tughlaq in 1362 AD. It is a protected monument and is open to the public. Visitors must pay an entry fee of twenty rupees to enter the fort and explore its opulent, well-kept gardens. The fort is well-maintained and is neat and clean. One of the best things to see inside the fort is the famous Turkish Bath and the mosque.

Old Shahi Fort: Jaunpur City

The central gate is 36 feet high and was built by Munner Khan. The gate is studded with blue and yellow stones, giving it a unique texture.

From the fort, one can get a panoramic view of the entire city and a full-length view of the Gomti River as well. It is a great place to take pictures and capture the city in one frame. Visitors can easily walk around the gardens for hours. My favorite part was the Turkish Bath. I ventured deep inside and saw how the water would fall into the bath, where nobles and kings would bath, with the facility of both hot and cold water. There were also hamams where people could get steam and relax, even receive massages. There were chambers and vents that made the place airy and cool. It is like a Bhool Bhulaiya, with chambers within chambers. There are several corridors and openings that allow light to seep into the various chambers. Water channels and tubs in each room are interconnected like a maze.

Just next to the bath is the royal mosque, built by the great Ibrahim Banbak. The fort itself was built by Naib Bank, a lieutenant of Feroze Shah Tughlaq.

The rectangular mosque is the oldest masjid in the city. It is supported by 12-meter-tall pillars with Persian inscriptions carved on them.

I enjoyed my afternoon here and had worked up quite an appetite. Our next stop was certainly going to be an eating joint, so Tiwari and I decided to go to a Batti Choka restaurant for our late lunch.

The Shahi Pul, also known as the Mughal Pul, was built over the Gomti River in the 16th century. It is the largest bridge in the city and is distinctive due to the many domes constructed on it. The famous bridge was built in 1564 by a man named Munyeen Khankhana, and it was authorized by the Mughal ruler Akbar. It has a carriageway at ground level and is almost 26 feet in width. There are images of lions and elephants on the bridge; these were brought from a Buddhist monastery and installed here.

There is also a mosque near the bridge, located on top of a water reservoir. The place is 2 km from the Jaunpur bus depot. The bridge was designed by the great Afghan architect Afzal Ali, and it took four years to complete.

Shahi Pul: Jaunpur

The bridge has twenty-eight colorful “chhatris” (domes), which contain shops selling various goods. The bridge was damaged during the Nepal and Bihar earthquake, and seven arches had to be rebuilt.

The bridge is recognized as the most significant Mughal structure in Jaunpur. I managed to take a full round of the bridge on a scooter and would often stop to take pictures from various angles. It was a delight, and in a small city like this, it added a lot of flavor and texture. It gave the city a soul and a history. Jaunpur is deep in Hindu heartland and is near Ayodhya, making it not only a city of historical significance but also a place linked to the city of Ram and the saffron brigade.

The Pul had great military significance and also facilitated trade between the city and the Mughal Sultanate.

It is a heritage and protected monument and has been declared a structure of national significance. The bridge is very robust and sturdy and has stood the test of time, including a massive earthquake. It is a brilliant tourist spot, and every-one can take a leisurely walk around the bridge, taking breaks and capturing pictures.

I was up early, before five in the morning, as we had a train to catch. We were headed for Jaunpur City, about 228 km from Lucknow, in a region of Uttar Pradesh called Purvanchal. I have always loved traveling by train in this region, and once again, we had to take a two-hour ride to our destination. It was early morning, but the train was on time. There were lots of Europeans on the train. Varanasi, where we boarded the train, is a hotspot for spiritual travelers from around the world. Just the other day, I saw a Jewish rabbi standing on the road, watching the city traffic along with his wife. I greeted him and even had a brief chat with the friendly Jewish man who had come to explore God and spirituality, Indian-style.

Jaunpur City: Purvanchal

I, for one, have a deep connection with this city, and I was determined to travel further into the Purvanchal region. That’s why we decided to first visit Jaunpur City. I arrived at the Jaunpur railway station within two hours. It was a very modest station with just one main shop selling cold drinks and chips. The station was small. My first observation about the city was that it is a small town, but it has very crowded markets. There are enough cars and scooters on the road to cause a traffic jam anywhere. Gomti and Sai are its main perennial rivers. Besides these, the city also has smaller rivers like Basuhi, Varuna, Pili, Mamur, and Gangi, which divide the entire district into four distinct halves.

When we reached the hotel, I caught up on some much-needed sleep. By late afternoon, my friend Tiwari and I decided to venture out into the city. We wanted to see the Chhath Puja festival that was going on that day and take a scooter ride across the rivers and bridges of Jaunpur. We passed through busy marketplaces, mosques, and riverbanks. The sunset brought with it a bit of a chill. It’s November, and the winter has almost set in.

I was dying to taste the most famous sweet of Jaunpur, called Imarti, but I had to wait. Tiwari wanted to take me to a famous chain of restaurants that served Batti Chokha. It was wonderful and gave me a real feel of rural Uttar Pradesh. I sat down on a charpoy and then had a matka kulfi with lassi. It was delicious, and I was beginning to get the first real feel of this city, where we intended to spend the next three days exploring many of its wonders.

Jaunpur City and district are famous for their many ancient forts, qilas, bridges, and mosques. That is what we plan to explore during our stay here.

The Atala Masjid, the Shahi Qila, and the Shahi Pul are must-see attractions, along with the Jama Masjid, Sheetala Mata Chukiya, and Masjid Lal Darwaza. There is a lot to see in this city, and I’m looking forward to exploring it.