Sārnāth

Sārnāth is a small village on the outer edge of the city of Vārāṇasī in northern India and is the place where the Buddha first proclaimed his Dhamma to the world. At that time it was known as Isipatana and there was a wildlife reserve there called Migadāya, the Deer Park. The name Sārnāth is a recent one and is derived from the term ‘lord of the deer’. In the centuries after the Buddha, Sārnāth grew into a great centre of culture and learning. Today the ruins of Sārnāth cover a wide area and a museum on the site houses a large collection of artefacts found there.