Ancient Buddhist Site of Sarnath

Ancient Buddhist Site of Sarnath

Source: PIB
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Overview

1. News in Brief
2. How it helps

Why in the News?

Ancient Buddhist Site of Sarnath Inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage List

News in Brief

• Today, in a remarkable decision taken at the 48th Session of the World Heritage Committee being held at Busan, South Korea, India’s official nomination for 2025-26 cycle, “Ancient Buddhist Site of Sarnath”
• “Ancient Buddhist Site of Sarnath” got inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, becoming India’s 45th property to receive this recognition.
• This global accolade celebrates India’s enduring cultural legacy, showcasing its diverse traditions of architectural brilliance, regional identity, and historical continuity.

On behalf of the Government of India, Archaeological Survey of India is the nodal agency of all the World Heritage related matters in the country.

Ancient Buddhist Site, Sarnath

• The inscribed serial property comprises two component parts
  • Chaukhandi Stupa
  • Archaeological Remains of Sarnath (Dhamekh Stupa, Dharmrajika Stupa, Mulagandgakuti Vihara, Ashokan Pillar, etc.) – located within Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh.
• Together these two components preserve the architectural and archaeological remains of the ancient site of Sarnath, known in the Buddhist tradition under different names – Rishipatana, Ishipatana, Mrigadava.
• They all refer to a sacred geography, where the Buddha visited in the 6th century BCE and delivered his first sermon known as the “Turning of the Wheel of the Law” (Dharmachakra pravartana).
• This event marked the inception of the Buddhist sangha and the establishment of the principles of the Noble Eightfold Path.

Architecture of Sarnath

• Indicated by the Buddha himself to be one of the four key sites of Buddhist pilgrimage
• Sarnath developed over centuries through royal, monastic and lay patronage.3
• Numerous stupas, temples and viharas were constructed around what is believed to be the place of the first sermon of Gautama Buddha
• Site where he met his first disciples.
• Having seen decline in the 12th century CE and subsequent destruction, it fell into obscurity until its rediscovery in the 18th century.
• The site comprises an ensemble of ancient monuments constructed from the pre-Mauryan period (5th-4th centuries BCE to 3rd century BCE) up until the destruction of Sarnath in the 12th century CE (with some later additions).

Sarnath has been one of the most extensively excavated sites by the Archaeological Survey of India which resulted in a stratified settlement spread across 16 centuries (5th-4th centuries BCE to 12th century CE).

Sarnath as a UNESCO World Heritage Property

• The ancient site of Sarnath was included in the Tentative List of World Heritage in 1998.
• The proposal to include the site in the list of World Heritage was sent to the consideration of World Heritage Committee in Jan 2025.
• After a rigorous eighteen-month-long process involving several technical meetings with the advisory bodies and visit of ICOMOS’s mission to review the site, this historic decision was taken by the members of the World Heritage Committee today evening at Busan, South Korea.
• With this global recognition, India affirms its commitment to protect Sarnath’s Outstanding Universal Value by Manage tourism sustainably and prevent unplanned development in the buffer zone in order to preserve authenticity and integrity of the property.

Last year, ‘the Maratha Military Landscapes of India’ were inscribed in the World Heritage List at the 47^th Session of the World Heritage Committee held at UNESCO Headquarters at Paris.

Key Takeaways

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