Sarnath 1985

Buddhist Stupa in Srnarth, India 1985

 

Sarnath is a place located 10 kilometres north-east of Varanasi near the confluence of the Ganges and the Varuna rivers in Uttar Pradesh, India. The Deer Park in Sarnath is where Gautama Buddha first taught the Dharma.

 

Stupas originated as pre-Buddhist tumuli, in which ascetics were buried in a seated position

 

The Dhamek Stupa is said to mark the spot (Rishipattana which can be translated as "where the Rishi arrived") where the Buddha gave the first sermon to his first five Brahmin disciples after attaining enlightenment, "revealing his Eightfold Path leading to nirvana.

 

In its current shape, the stupa is a solid cylinder of bricks and stone reaching a height of 43.6 meters and having a diameter of 28 meters. It is the most massive structure in Sarnath