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.
