Varanasi · Things to do

Sarnath सारनाथ

Any day; the museum closes weekly

Sarnath — the giant seated Buddha statue among trees, one of the modern temples around the site

Sarnath — the giant seated Buddha statue among trees, one of the modern temples around the site

About ten kilometres north-east of the ghats, Sarnath is where the Buddha gave his first sermon after his enlightenment. The great brick Dhamek Stupa marks where he set the wheel of the law in motion, and stands over the excavated foundations of monasteries built and rebuilt across a thousand years. The ruins of the Mulagandha Kuti Vihara mark where he spent his first rainy season; the modern temple of the same name, opened in 1931, holds small relics of the Buddha.

The archaeological museum beside the site holds the Lion Capital of Ashoka, the original of the state emblem on every Indian passport and banknote. A short distance outside the deer park, the Chaukhandi Stupa marks where the Buddha met his first five disciples, and modern temples built by Buddhist communities from several countries stand around the site, among them the giant seated Buddha.

The site is quiet, level and green — the opposite of the old city in every way. It is the easiest half day Varanasi offers, and the kindest on anyone who finds the lanes hard going. The museum closes one day a week.

Things to do

More in Varanasi

All things to do
Subah-e-Banaras at Assi Ghat — musicians and listeners on the steps at sunrise, mist on the riverSubah-e-Banaras at AssiChanting, yoga and classical music, at sunrise.Ganga aarti — priests on raised platforms swinging tiered brass lamps, the crowd behind themGanga aarti at DashashwamedhThe evening offering to the river, done in full.A wooden boat on the Ganga at first light, the ghats and their buildings catching the sunA boat at dawnThe only way to see the ghats as one thing.A handloom in a Varanasi weaving workshop, gold zari thread on the warp, the weaver's hands at the shuttleBanarasi silk, at the loomSee the brocade woven before you are sold any.Ramnagar Fort from the river — sandstone walls and balconies above the far bank of the GangaRamnagar FortThe Maharaja's fort, and its magnificently odd museum.

Stays

Where to stay in Varanasi

All houses
Pratham, Varanasi: double bed with an ochre runner facing a leaded-glass window, wooden ceiling with a fan, air conditioning and a door open to the screened verandahPrathamOur first house: amber light, a wooden ceiling and a balcony full of flowersMinimilist, Varanasi: white bedroom with a double bed under a yellow-and-white block-print spread, saffron curtains at a barred window, two wall sconces and a marble floor with an inlaid borderMinimilistWhite walls, marigold accents and room to thinkBoutique, Varanasi: teal bedroom with gold wall mouldings, dark tufted headboard, blue cushions and runner, upholstered bench at the foot of the bedBoutiqueThree rooms, three moods: blue and gold, rose, and emeraldSantorini, Varanasi: white room with a teak bed, blue cushions and runner, blue shutters open to the balcony and a blue console table oppositeSantoriniWhitewash, cobalt and jali windows framing the Varanasi skyGardenia, Varanasi: double bed with a yellow headboard and bedspread, rolled towels laid out, mustard wardrobes either side of a white arched niche, marble floorGardeniaSunlit yellow rooms that open onto a shaded garden lawn