Sārnāth

views updated Jun 11 2018

Sārnāth. North of the Ganges (Gaṅgā), near Vārāṇasī (Kāśi), the place where the Buddha delivered his first sermon. The exact spot in Sārnāth where this took place is known as the Deer Park (Iṣipataṇa) and the event is called ‘the turning of the Wheel of Dharma’ (dharmacakra-pravartana).

Sārnāth has continued to be an important pilgrimage site.