India’s ancient Buddhist site Sarnath included in Unesco World Heritage List
The decision to include Sarnath was taken at the 48th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee being held in Busan, South Korea. The Buddhist site of Sarnath was India’s official nomination for the 2025–26 cycle, an official statement said.
India's ancient Buddhist site of Sarnath in Varanasi was on Saturday included on the UNESCO World Heritage List, becoming the country's 45th property to receive the recognition.
The decision to include Sarnath was taken at the 48th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee being held in Busan, South Korea. The Buddhist site of Sarnath was India's official nomination for the 2025–26 cycle, an official statement said.
The Sarnath site has two components that preserve the architectural and archaeological remains of the ancient site of Sarnath, where Gautama Buddha visited in the 6th century BC, met his first disciples and delivered his first sermon, known as the "Turning of the Wheel of the Law" (Dharmachakra Pravartana).
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Having seen a decline in the 12th century and subsequent destruction, it fell into obscurity until its rediscovery in the 18th century.
The site comprises an ensemble of ancient monuments constructed from the pre-Mauryan period (5th–4th centuries BCE to 3rd century BCE) up until the destruction of Sarnath in the 12th century CE, with some later additions.
Sarnath has been one of the most extensively excavated sites by the Archaeological Survey of India, resulting in a stratified settlement spanning 16 centuries (5th–4th centuries BCE to 12th century CE).
Among the significant Buddhist pilgrimage sites on the UNESCO World Heritage List in South Asia are Paharpur (Bangladesh), Lumbini (Nepal), the Mahabodhi Temple in Bodhgaya (Bihar), Sarnath (Uttar Pradesh), Sanchi, Nalanda and Ajanta (all three in India), Anuradhapura (Sri Lanka), and Taxila and Takht-i-Bahi (both in present-day Pakistan).
