Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v1.c7.s2.t7: Sarnath
Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v1.c7.s2.t7
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Sarnath
v1.c7.s2.t7.1
Lord Buddha proclaimed four holiest pilgrimage sites of Buddhism which were related to important events of his life. Of these four sites, Lumbini was related to his birth, Bodhgaya to his enlightenment, Sarnath to his first sermon and Kushinara to his attainment of nirvana. Sarnath is thus famous as the place where Buddha set in motion the wheel of law (Maha-Dhammacakkappavattana), by preaching his first five ascetic companions the fundamentals of Buddhism ie, Four Noble Truths and Eight Paths as well as several other *suttas* [discourses/ teachings]. He thus laid the foundation of Buddhist *dharma* and *sangha* which spread both in India and abroad, making Buddhism once the largest religion of the world. Located close to Varanasi-Kashi in eastern Uttar Pradesh, it is historically known as Rishipattan or Ishipattan (place of sages) and Mrigadaya (deer park). The popular name Sarnath is derived from its association with Rishi Sarangnath (master of deer), a Saiva sage.
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Sarnath is widely referred to in various Buddhist writings. The *Jatakas* have several stories connected with events and activities as well as several legends about Lord Buddha there. Both Faxian and Xuanzang found it to be a grand and flourishing place. During his visit in the early 5th century CE, Faxian noted four *stupas* and two monasteries here. Two centuries later, Xuanzang witnessed the whole area to be religiously very active. In Varanasi, the city under whose boundary was Sarnath, he found over 30 monasteries and approximately 3,000 resident monks of Sammatiya sect. Sarnath was surrounded by a wall. Within it were buildings and pavilions as well as several lakes and gardens built in line with good planning. Near 1,500 monks of Sammitiya sect lived there. There was a tall and huge temple/ monastery with a golden top shaped like a mango. The temple had a copper statue of Buddha in *dhammchakkapavattan* style. He noted many *stupas*, some of which were more than 200 feet in height. There was also a 70 feet stone pillar which was very soft, shining and had inscriptions.
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Xuanzang observed the grandeur of art and craft that characterised Sarnath during the Mauryas, Sungas, Kushanas and the Guptas and were evident in Dhamekh and other *stupas*, Ashokan Pillar, the Buddha statue and scores of various artifacts. The Sarnath School of Buddha sculpture produced the most beautiful stone statue of the preaching Buddha, the style of which was emulated in India and abroad and particularly in pre-Angokorine Cambodia. Coomaraswamy noted this statue as one of the three best sculptures of the world. Sarnath retained its charm even during the Pala period. Plunder by Afghan-based Mahmud Ghajni’s and Ghori’s invasions in the first and decades of 11th century Sarnath. Kumardevi, wife of Govindchandra (1114-1154 CE) of the Gahadavala dynasty, built a large monastery at Sarnath which is probably the last impressive monuments raised here. By the beginning of 13th century, the periodic onslaught of Turko-Muslim kings followed by ransacking by local roving powerholders for building material, Sarnath was completely destroyed.
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The glorious heritage of Sarnath was finally uncovered by the British archaeologists, especially A C Cunningham during the 19th century. They found tall and huge Dhamekh *stupa*, foundation remains of Dharmarajika *Stupa* (bricks of which were pillaged aand used as building materials in Varanasi), severely destroyed Chaukhandi stupa constructed to spot the site of Buddha’s meeting with five ascetics – later over which Akbar constructed a memorial to mark his father Humayun’s hiding place after defeat by Sher Shah Suri. They also found ruins of Mulgandhkutivihar. (In 1930, Sri Lankan monk Anagarik Dharmapal constructed a new Mulgandhkuti Temple there.) They also found the Ashokan Pillar broken, with its top which had a statue of four lions that has been declared a national symbol and is now adorning the Sarnath museum. Besides this, located in Sarnath are also Jaina and Shaiva temples.
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Now fast developing as the Buddhist pilgrim centre, almost all the major Buddhist countries have their temples here with each representative having the architecture of their respective native land. A Chinese temple was constructed in 1939 by donations from Fukienese Buddhists through the Kolkata-based Chinese Association in India. The modern Thai Temple there has a huge statue of Buddha. Recently, Koreans and Japanese too have built their temples besides one old one by Myanmar. It is now a part of much-travelled Buddhist tourist circuit.
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(*Kamal Sheel*)