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Sarnath Travel Guide

Saranath is one of the four holiest places of buddhist pilgrimage for it was here that the Buddha first preached his doctrine to the world an act referred to as Dharma Chakra pratvartana (setting the wheel of law in motion). The three other sacred places of the ouddhist world are Lumbini in Nepal where lord Buddha was born, Bodh Gaya in Bihar where he attained enlightenment and Kusinagara also in Uttar pradesh and 259 Kms. from Varanasi where hedied.
Sarnath was a little known wood land familiar only to the due whose favourite haunt it was till Bud¬dha came here in 532 bc insearch of five erstwhile companions who had begun their search for Truth at the same time as him. But had not yet attained enlightenment.
The emperor Ashoka, Who spread the Buddhas message of love and compassion throughot his vast ampire visited Sarnath around 234 bc and erected a stupa here. Several buddist structures were raised at sarnath between the 3 rd centure B.0 and 11th century A.D. This hectic activity to promte buddhim which began 200 years after Buddha. Went on under the sungas the Kushans and the Guptas who followed the Mauryas continued to prosper till the middle of the 12 th century A.D. when succeed¬ing dynasties of Muslim sultans began destroying its buildings and monuments.