Sarnath: Echos of Enlightenment in the Sacred Silence
Tucked away on the fringes of the holy city of Varanasi, Sarnath (in present-day Uttar Pradesh) entices with its age-old charm and has immense relevance in understanding the Buddha’s path to enlightenment. During the Age of the Mahajanapadas i.e. by 600 BCE in ancient India, there emerged sixteen major kingdoms or oligarchic republics called Mahajanapadas. Kashi was one of the Mahajanapadas. Its capital was Varanasi and Sarnath was part of this Mahajanapada. It is located near the confluence of the Ganga and Varuna rivers. Come, let’s explore Sarnath and its fascinating history, architecture and spiritual significance that draw tourists from all over the world. Buddha in a past incarnation as a deer and Mrigadava : The word Sarnath is derived from Sarangnath (the master of deer). Sarang means spotted deer in Sanskrit. In ancient India, Sarnath was known as Mrigadava, Migadaya, Isipatana or Rishipattana. The word for deer in Sanskrit is mriga...