An old Buddhist story tells us the Bodhisattva is a deer and offers his life to the king. The king was planning to kill the doe for his feast. He was so moved that he created a park as a sanctuary for deer. Sarnath from Saranganath means “lord of the Deer”. Sarnath is a city located 13 kilometres north-east of Varanasi. It is near the confluence of the Ganges and the Gomati rivers in Uttar Pradesh, India. The deer park in Sarnath is where Gautama Buddha first taught the Dharma. This is where the Buddhist Sangha (society) came into existence.

Sarnath is one of the most important Buddhist pilgrimage centres in India. It is also an important place for the followers of Jainism. In the 3rd century BC, Emperor Ashoka had elegant stupas and monasteries built here.  In AD 640, Sarnath had a 100m-high stupa and 1500 monks living within the monasteries. But Buddhism went into decline and when Muslim invaders attacked the city, Sarnath sank into oblivion. British archaeologists brought back the glory of Sarnath in 1835.

Sarnath is a place of pilgrimage, both for Buddhists from India and abroad. Buddhism is a major religion in Thailand, Tibet, Sri Lanka and Myanmar. They have established monasteries in Sarnath in their typical style. Pilgrims and visitors get an overview of Buddhist architecture for various cultures. Sarnath became a prominent centre of Buddhism in the Gupta period. There was an abundance of carved sculptural art and this gave rise to the Sarnath School of Art. This school is known for its simplicity of forms and sublimity. Chaukhandi is the first monument one encounters in Sarnath. It is a lofty mound of brick work whose square edifice is surrounded by an octagonal tower. The most remarkable structure at Sarnath is the cylindrical Dhamek stupa. This is built part stone and part brick. The stone facing the lower part is adorned with delicate floral carvings of the Gupta origin.

Sarnath attracts visitors and followers especially on Purnima, informally Buddha's birthday. On this occasion Buddha's life, death and enlightenment are celebrated, usually in April or May.

• There will be beggars on the street, don’t encourage them by paying.
• Visit the museum, it has old sculptures and well explained artefacts.
• Visit the Japanese museum, it’s very clean and neat with manicured gardens.
• Hire a guide and make the trip more educational. 

• Vaishali Restaurant: Indian
• Sarnath Café: Indian
• Blue Lassi: Indian
• The place Ngo Outlet café: Café, Indian, Contemporary

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