Sarnath: Buddha

On Sunday, I made a quick trip up to Sarnath, about 13 kms NE of Varanasi.

Sarnath's claim to fame is that it's where Buddha (400 BC) gave the first sermon to his five disciples after attaining enlightenment, revealing his Eightfold Path leading to nirvana.

The city was an active Buddhist temple for many centuries -- up until it was sacked in the 12th century by the Turkish Muslims and was pretty much destroyed. The main temple was re-discovered by Andrew Cunningham in the late 1800s.

For Buddhists, Sarnath is one of four pilgrimage sites designated by Gautama Buddha.