14th Nov 2011
Trip Start
Oct 11, 2011
1
35
50
Trip End
Ongoing
Sarnath, Uttar Pradesh, India
Monday, November 14, 2011
I took a cycle rickshaw to Sarnath,a Buddhist pilgrimage where the Buddha after achieving enlightenment gave his first ever sermon which set in motion the 'wheel of law' which all Buddhists now follow.
The site is of archaeological excavations of brick built temples that litter the site and the iconic stupas are also dotted around the pristine landscape. The Dhamekh stupa dominates the site and it is the largest stupa measuring 33.5 meters tall, part constructed with large stone complete with inscription and red brick for the top half.
Sitting on the lawns overlooking the site was relaxing and put me in a good mood for the day. At Sarnath is also a museum holding many artifacts but the most important is the 'lion capital', is forms part of the Indian national identity and is sometimes shown on legal documents - four lions each facing the four compass points.
Leaving Sarnath behind i headed back to Varanasi and once again walked the length of the Ghats more chilled,open minded and no one put me out of this frame mind.
I watched the evening prayer ritual on the side of the Ganges with hundreds of others and took some amazing photos.
Watching the candles in their hundreds float down the river brought home how important this place really is...the center of the Hindu universe.
