Sarnath

Siddharta Gautama, who became known as Buddha ("the awakened one"), gave his 1st sermon at Sarnath, where he spent time resting from his frequent travels. We had hoped for some rest here, too, from the hubbub of Varanasi but although it was certainly quieter, we found that every time we tried to sit down, or even stood still, we became the target of beggars, touts & curious locals - so we abandoned plans for a picnic & kept moving.

There was plenty to see. We started in the museum which was very interesting - & very cheap at only 2 rupees each! (At most of India's tourist sites, Indian citizens are charged 5 rupees each for entry, while foreigners are charged much more, up to a whopping 750 rupees at the Taj Mahal.) There were statues dating from the 1st century CE through to the 12th century. The most famous was the Lion Capital, from Ashoka's Column on site, which has been adopted as modern India's emblem.

We moved on to wander around the ruins of a place which in its heyday had 30 monasteries supporting up to 3000 monks. The site fell into disrepair about 1000 years ago when Muslims invaded India & Hinduism began to gain the prominence that has led to 80% of Modern Indians being Hindus. There are still the remains of 4 monasteries, a shrine & several stupas not to mention several modern temples & the Central Institute of Tibetan Studies. The whole area was overshadowed by the 33.5 metre Dhamekh Stupa. Sarnath is a place of pilgrimage for Buddhists from around the world who leave offerings of flowers & sheets of gold leaf dotted around the park & attached to the buildings.

We may not have been pilgrims, but even for us, it was quite something to walk where Buddha had walked 2500 years ago.