Source: The Hindu
Context
The “Ancient Buddhist Site, Sarnath” in Uttar Pradesh was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List on 25 July 2026, during the 48th session of the World Heritage Committee at Busan, Republic of Korea, making it India’s 45th World Heritage Site. It is Uttar Pradesh’s fourth site, after the Taj Mahal, Agra Fort and Fatehpur Sikri, all in the Agra region.
Key Facts
The Inscription
- India now has 45 World Heritage Sites, placing it sixth in the world and second in the Asia-Pacific region.
- India submitted the dossier titled “Ancient Buddhist Site, Sarnath” for the 2025–26 nomination cycle; under the Operational Guidelines, 2024, only one property may be submitted per cycle, and the process takes about 1.5 years.
- The nomination was evaluated by ICOMOS, the advisory body for cultural properties.
What the Property Comprises
- The legacy survives in two protected archaeological sites: the Chaukhandi Stupa and the Archaeological Remains of Sarnath, which include the Dhamek Stupa and the Dharmarajika Stupa.
- The Chaukhandi Stupa is a lofty brick structure crowned by an octagonal Mughal tower built by Govardhan, son of Raja Todar Mal, in AD 1588, to commemorate Humayun’s visit.
- The second group contains stupas, monasteries, temples and the Ashokan column, in brick and stone, datable from the 3rd century BCE to the 12th century CE.
Historical Significance
- According to Buddhist texts, the Buddha travelled to Sarnath in the sixth century BCE after attaining enlightenment, met his first five disciples and delivered his first sermon — regarded as the beginning of the spread of Buddhist teachings.
- Known in ancient texts as Mrigadava (Deer Park), Rishipattana and Isipatana.
- The first sermon, the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta, expounded the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path, and marked the founding of the Sangha.
- Sarnath evolved into a major centre of Buddhist learning and pilgrimage, one of the four principal Buddhist pilgrimage destinations.
- The Ashokan Pillar here bears the Lion Capital, adopted as India’s National Emblem in 1950, with the Dharmachakra appearing on the national flag.
- Sarnath also produced the famed Gupta-period Buddha in dharmachakra-pravartana mudra, a masterpiece of the Sarnath school of sculpture.
Buddhist Pilgrimage Circuit
- The four principal sites: Lumbini (birth, Nepal), Bodh Gaya (enlightenment, Bihar), Sarnath (first sermon, UP) and Kushinagar (mahaparinirvana, UP).
- With Sarnath, three of these four are now on the World Heritage List — Lumbini (1997), Mahabodhi Temple Complex, Bodh Gaya (2002), and now Sarnath; Kushinagar remains uninscribed.
Practice MCQs
Q1. With reference to the inscription of Sarnath on the UNESCO World Heritage List, consider the following statements:
- It was inscribed during the 48th session of the World Heritage Committee held in Busan, Republic of Korea.
- It is India’s 45th World Heritage Site and Uttar Pradesh’s fourth.
- The inscribed property includes the Chaukhandi Stupa and the archaeological remains containing the Dhamek and Dharmarajika stupas.
- Sarnath was placed on UNESCO’s Tentative List only in 2020, shortly before its nomination.
How many of the above statements are correct? (a) Only one (b) Only two (c) Only three (d) All four (e) None
Q2. With reference to Sarnath and Buddhist heritage, consider the following statements:
- Sarnath is where the Buddha delivered his first sermon, an event known as the Dharmachakra Pravartana.
- The Lion Capital of Ashoka, adopted as India’s State Emblem, originally surmounted a pillar at Sarnath.
- Sarnath is known in ancient texts as Mrigadava or Deer Park.
- With Sarnath’s inscription, all four principal Buddhist pilgrimage sites are now on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
How many of the above statements are correct? (a) Only one (b) Only two (c) Only three (d) All four (e) None
Answer Key
- (c) — Statements 1, 2, 3 are correct; Statement 4 is wrong because Sarnath was placed on the Tentative List on 3 July 1998, 28 years before inscription.
- (c) — Statements 1, 2, 3 are correct; Statement 4 is wrong because Kushinagar, the site of the Buddha’s mahaparinirvana, is not yet inscribed; three of the four — Lumbini, Bodh Gaya and Sarnath — are.
