History, Importance, Best Time to Visit, Interesting Facts and Travel Guide of Chaukhandi Stupa, Sarnath, Uttar Pradesh, India
Chaukhandi Stupa is one of the most popular and highly important Buddhist Stupa located in heart of Sarnath, the UNESCO World Heritage site and just 8 kms away Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. The Chaukhandi Stupa, one of the finest monument in Sarnath has been declared as Monument of National Importance by ASI in June 2019. This is believed to be one of the holiest Buddhist religious site and follower of Buddhism across the world visits here around the year. Chaukhandi Stupa is one of the first site you will see while you reached Sarnath from Varanasi.
It is believed that Chaukhandi Stupa was built to mark the place where Buddha met his first five disciples the Pancha Vargeeya Bhikshus while Buddha traveled from Bodhgaya to Sarnath after attaining the self-enlightenment. Lord Buddha had shared the real knowledge to these first five disciples of who were basically his five friends namely Kondanna, Bhaddiya, Vappa, Mahanama and Assaji. Then this five friend becomes his first five disciples and Buddha formed the first union of Buddhism, which is called Sangha. The Chaukhandi Stupa is the ancient Buddhist site which evolved from burial mounds and served as a shrine for a relic of Buddha. It was originally constructed between 4 to 6 century during Gupta empire and later on Govardhan, the son of a Raja Todar Mal, modified the stupa to its present shape by building the octagonal tower. The images of the Buddha and other statues are found during excavations at Stupa which is considered to be the classic example of architecture. The Stupa is known as Chaukhandi because of its four-armed plan and square structure. The height of the structure is around 200 feet and the structure is made of solid brickwork The terraces are supported on rows of hollow cell and standing on a rectangular plinth.
Along with the Chaukhandi Stupa, you must have to visit other site here at Sarnath like Dhamek Stupa, Mahabodhi Society temple, Ashok Pillar, Thai Temple, Sarnath Museum, Tibetan Temple, the Garden of Spiritual wisdom, Japanese temple etc.
Sarnath is the holiest site across world for Buddhism and famous pilgrimage cum tourist destination located on confluence of holy river Ganga and Varuna, just at 10 km from Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. After attaining nirvana or enlightenment, Gautama Buddha had delivered his first discourse or taught the Dharma to his first five disciple here at Sarnath. And Sarnath is the place where first Buddhist Sangha was formed and came into existence, thus this site is believed to be one of the main four Buddhist site across the world. This first sermon of Lord Buddha is famous as the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta in which he explained about the four noble truths and the teachings associated with them.
How to Reach Sarnath, holiest place of Buddhism, near Varansi, Uttar Pradesh, India
Sarnath is one of the four holiest site for Buddhist across the world and just 10 km away from Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. Thus you can easily reach here via Varanasi from across the India. You can get public and private transport to reach Sarnath from Varanasi. Thousands of devotee and tourist across the world flocked here around the year. Varanasi is very well connected with all major cities of India via Road, Rail and Air network. The temple is located at just 5 km away from the Varanasi railway station and you can reach temple from any corner of cities via cab or rickshaw. Varanasi has major railway junction from where you can get train to all the cities of India like Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Indore, Allahabad, Dehradun etc. at very high frequency. Varanasi has also Airport from where you can flight to several cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Gaya, Hyderabad, Bhuvaneshwar etc. Also Varanasi is import district of Uttar Pradesh thus it is well connected by state and national highway. Sarnath is located at 125 km from Allahabad, 331 km from Kanpur, 319 km from Lucknow, 252 km from Patna, 220 km from Ayodhya, 250 km from Chitrakoot, 252 km from Fatehpur, 200 km from Gorakhpur, 260 km from Gaya.
