Sarnath: - Sarnath, about 10 km from the holy city of Varanasi, is the place where Buddha chose to deliver his first sermon. The celebrated Mantra, 'Buddham Sharanam Gachhami', owes its origin to Sarnath. On the day before his death Buddha included Sarnath along with Lumbini, Bodh Gaya and Kushinagar as the four places he thought to be sacred to his followers. It makes Sarnath one of the most venerated Buddhist places. Besides Buddhism, Sarnath is also connected with Jainism.
There are many Buddhist monuments and edifices in Sarnath. Some of the important Buddhist monuments at Sarnath are the Dhamekha stupa, the Chaukhandi stupa and monasteries and temples of different schools of Buddhism from Japan, China, Thailand, Burma and others. The Indian Buddhist society called Mahabodhi Society maintains a park around the Buddha temple. The Mahabodhi Temple within the park has a tooth relic of the Buddha.  
There is also a vast expanse of ancient ruins at Sarnath. Several Buddhist structures were raised at Sarnath between the 3rd century BC and the 11th century AD, and today it presents the most expansive ruins amongst places on the Buddhist trail. The Ashoka pillar of Sarnath is the National emblem of India.

Places Around Sarnath

Varanasi is the most important place near Sarnath and a regular stop for the tourists headed for Sarnath. The city is famous for its temples, ghats, lanes, and most importantly its religious and cultural significance in the Hindu society.

Sarnath is a part of one of the major tourist circuits of India-the Buddhist circuit-and is linked to Bodhgaya, Rajgir, Nalanda, Kushinagar, and Lumbini.

HOW TO REACH

BY AIR - The nearest airport is Babatpur 30 km away from where one can take daily flights to Delhi, Calcutta, Bhubaneswar, Kathmandu, and Patna.

BY RAIL - Sarnath is a halt on the Northern Railway network and several of the trains, which cross Varanasi, stop here. From Varanasi direct trains are available for almost all the major cities of India.

BY ROAD - Sarnath is 9.6 km by road from Varanasi, and is linked by road.