Monuments of Sarnath
May 1, 2008 by Editor
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Sarnath, where Buddha preached his first sermon was once a radiating centre of light throughout the Buddhist world for 1500 years. The place is situated only 8 kilometer away from Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh.
In the third century B.C., Asoka, the Great Maurya Emperor was the first to construct a number of monuments at Sarnath, which included the famous pillar with lion-capital, the stone railing, the Dharmarajika Stupa and the Dhamekh Stupa.
After Asoka, several other monuments sprang up at this holy site under the patronage of the kings of different dynasties from second century B.C. to the 12th century A.D.
The Asokan pillar surmounted by the magnificent lion-capital now adopted as India’s State emblem bears the edict of Asoka and two other inscriptions of the Kushan and Gupta Kings.
The lion-capital (now housed the Sarnath Museum) measures 2.3 meter in height and has bell-shaped base with lotus leaves, a round abacus with an elephant, a horse, a bull and a lion in relief and four seated lions emerging from one block of stone. Sir John Marshall, the famous Archaeologist observed:
Both bell and lions are in an excellent state of preservation and masterpieces in front of both style and technique-the first carvings, indeed, that India has yet produced.
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Tags: asoka, buddha, buddhist, great maurya, kings, lion capital, Sarnath Monuments, sarnath museum
Monuments of Sarnath…
Sarnath, where Buddha preached his first sermon was once a radiating centre of light throughout the Buddhist world for 1500 years. The place is situated only 8 kilometer away from Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh….
Monuments of Sarnath…
Sarnath, where Buddha preached his first sermon was once a radiating centre of light throughout the Buddhist world for 1500 years. The place is situated only 8 kilometer away from Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh….