“Ancient Buddhist Site of Sarnath” Inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage List

At the 48th Session of the World Heritage Committee, held in Busan, South Korea, India’s official nomination for the 2025–26 cycle, “Ancient Buddhist Site of Sarnath,” was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

With this inscription, Sarnath became India’s 45th property to receive UNESCO World Heritage recognition.

The inscription strengthens the global recognition of India’s rich Buddhist heritage and cultural landscape.

With Sarnath’s inscription, three of the four most significant Buddhist pilgrimage sites are now included in the UNESCO World Heritage List:

• Lumbini – Nepal
• Mahabodhi Temple, Bodh Gaya – Bihar, India
• Sarnath – Uttar Pradesh, India

Other important Buddhist sites included in the World Heritage List include Sanchi – India, Nalanda – India, Ajanta – India, Anuradhapura – Sri Lanka, Paharpur – Bangladesh, Taxila – Present-day Pakistan, Takht-i-Bahi – Present-day Pakistan. 

About Ancient Buddhist Site of Sarnath,

The UNESCO-inscribed serial property of Sarnath comprises two component parts:

• Chaukhandi Stupa
• Archaeological Remains of Sarnath which include Dhamekh Stupa, Dharmarajika Stupa, Mulagandhakuti Vihara and Ashokan Pillar.

These two components are located within Varanasi district of Uttar Pradesh and together preserve the architectural and archaeological remains of ancient Sarnath.

Sarnath was known in Buddhist tradition by different names, including Rishipatana, Ishipatana and Mrigadava, all referring to the sacred geography associated with the site.

According to Buddhist tradition, Gautama Buddha visited Sarnath in the 6th century BCE and delivered his first sermon, known as the “Turning of the Wheel of the Law” (Dharmachakra Pravartana).

This historic event marked the inception of the Buddhist Sangha and the establishment of the principles of the Noble Eightfold Path.

The Buddha himself identified Sarnath as one of the four key sites of Buddhist pilgrimage.

Over the centuries, Sarnath developed through the patronage of royalty, monastic institutions and lay communities.

Numerous stupas, temples and viharas were constructed around the site believed to be the location of the Buddha’s first sermon and his meeting with his first disciples.

The site contains an ensemble of ancient monuments dating from the pre-Mauryan period (5th–4th centuries BCE) through the 3rd century BCE and up to the destruction of Sarnath in the 12th century CE, along with some later additions.

Sarnath is among the most extensively excavated archaeological sites of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).

Archaeological excavations have revealed a stratified settlement spanning nearly 16 centuries, from the 5th–4th centuries BCE to the 12th century CE.

Source: PIB

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