The Buddha Gives His First Sermon at Sarnath

Located a short distance northeast of Varanasi near the junction of the Ganges and Varuna rivers, the deer park at Sarnath became one of the central settings of early Buddhist tradition. According to canonical accounts, Siddhartha Gautama travelled to this sanctuary in the 6th century BCE, traditionally dated to around 528 BCE, at approximately thirty-five years of age, following his enlightenment at Bodh Gaya. Known in early texts as Isipatana or Rishipattana, meaning the place where sages descended, the site was selected for his initial discourse, the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta. Delivered to five ascetic companions named Kaundinya, Assaji, Bhaddiya, Vappa, and Mahanama, this event is commemorated in Buddhist thought as the First Turning of the Wheel of the Dharma and marked the founding of the monastic community.

The physical prominence of Sarnath expanded during northern India's second urbanisation, nourished by regional commerce and elite patronage from Varanasi. In the third century BCE, the Mauryan emperor Ashoka commemorated the Buddha's first sermon by erecting a stone pillar surmounted by a four-lion capital and a sandstone wheel of dharma. Ashoka also rebuilt and expanded existing stupas, distributing relics across the realm. Later dynasties, including the Guptas and the Palas, continued to finance monasteries, shrines, and stone sculptures. Over centuries, Sarnath served as an important hub for diverse Buddhist traditions, notably the Sammatiya school, while later archaeological layers reveal the presence of Vajrayana imagery alongside Hindu and Jain shrines.