God
The places connected with one of the four principal events of Buddha's life, viz. his birth, enlightenment, first preaching and decease. After the Parinirvana of the Buddha, his remains were cremated and the ashes divided and buried under eight mounds with two further mounds encasing the urn and the embers. The Dhamek Stupa is said to mark the spot (Rishipattana which can be translated as "where the Rishi arrived") where the Buddha gave the first sermon to his first five Brahmin disciples after attaining enlightenment "revealing his Eightfold Path leading to nirvana".
Interesting Facts
- The pattern of worship followed by the Tibetans is different from other Buddhists. Tibetans Buddhist circumambulates Stupa counter-clockwise chanting the mantra 'Om mani padme hum'.
- It is worth knowing that the first discourse of the Buddha was on the 'Wheel of Law'. This is the possible reasoning behind the naming of this Stupa.
Best Season To Visit
The best season to visit the temple is Winter season. The best months to visit are September to February.
Weather
Highest - April to June (39°C during day and 28°C during night)Average - May (36°C during the day and 26°C during night)Lowest - December to February (20°C during day and 15°C during night)Monsoon season - June to October
Dress Code
- For men the dress code is Shirt & Trouser, Dhoti or Pyjamas with upper cloth.
- For women the preferred dress code is saree or half-saree with blouse or chudidhar with pyjama and upper cloth.
- Shorts, mini-skirts, middies, sleeveless tops, low-waist jeans and short-length T-shirts are not allowed.
Do's & Dont's
- Do bathe and wear clean clothes before you enter the temple.
- Do respect ancient customs and co-piligrims while at temple.
- Smoking and drinking is prohibited in this temple.
- Chewing betel leaves, tobacco, gutka and spitting inside temple is strictly prohibited.
transport connections
| Name | Distance | Contact Number |
|---|---|---|
 Singhpur Bus stand |
2 KM | 8756888110 |
 Varanasi Junction |
10.3 KM | 139 |
 Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport |
25.2 KM | 0542-2623060 |
Architecture
Dhamek Stupa is one of the renowned historical sites in Sarnath. Built with stones and red bricks, the structure of Dhamek Stupa is cylindrical in shape. The lower part is wholly adorned with stunning carved stones. Besides, the entire structure of this stupa stands comfortably at an imposing height of 43.6 m along with the base diameter of 28 m. Along with that, the complex includes a total of 8 niches each facing a different direction. Another main feature of this historical architecture are the inscriptions in the Brahmi Script. Magnificently carved humans and birds figures can also be seen at Dhamek Stupa.The monument is further adorned with delicately carved arc.besque and geometric patterns. In several of the ancient sources, the site of the first sermon is mentioned to have been at a ″Mriga-Dayaa-Vanam″ or a sanctuary for animals.
According to tradition King Asoka (273-32 B.C.) opened the eight out of the ten original stupas enshrining the body-relics of the Master and distributed them into eighty-four thousand stupas, which he is said to have erected throughout the length and breadth of his vast empire. This explains why sites like Sanchi and Taxila (Pakistan) have Each fine Buddhist monuments, even though they were not visited by Buddha. The earliest Buddhist monuments in India are attributable to Asoka (273-32 B.C.) who exerted his energies and the resources of his empire to the propagation of Buddhism. He is credited with the authorship of three principal types of monuments, viz., Pillars, Stupas and Rock-cut caves, of which the first two have Buddhist associations.
Religious Significance
History says after Lord Buddha attained enlightenment in Bodh Gaya, He gave His first sermon to five disciples at this spot which throughout its long history has been variously known as Rishipattana, Isipatana, Mrigadava and Migadaya apart from the most popular name, Sarnath. This famous event in the life of Lord Buddha is called the ‘Dharma Chakra Pravartana’ or setting the ‘Wheel of Law’ in motion. According to sources, Lord Buddha visited Sarnath and while staying here he performed meditation. Thus for Buddhists, this place marks as one of the four most sacred places associated with Lord Buddha with the other three being Lumbini - the site of birth, Bodhgaya - the site of enlightenment and Kushinagar - the site of nirvana of Lord Buddha.
History
Originally built in 249 BCE during the reign of King Ashoka of the Maurya Dynasty, this massive and prominent structure has over time gone through several expansions and additions, later replaced in 500 C.E. Chinese Buddhist monk, scholar, translator and traveler Xuanzang visited Sarnath in 640 CE during which time he recorded the height of the Stupa to be around 91 m and mentioned the presence of 1500 priests in the colony.
The place became significant archeologically when in 1798 Mr. J. Duncan reported about a stone box that contained a casket of green marble, which was exposed while the Dharmarajika Stupa was being dismantled by the workers of the Dewan of King Chet Singh of Benaras, Jagat Singh. Over time, several other excavation works were carried out in and around this structure. One such initial excavation work unearthed a stone tablet that revealed that this Stupa is known as Dhamek which historians generally believe to be a distorted form of Dharma Chakra meaning turning the Wheel of Dharma.
Temple Timings
| Day | Timings |
|---|---|
| All Days | 06:00 AM - 06:00 PM |
Tours
Airports
| Airport Name | Distance |
|---|---|
| Shamshabad | 40 KM |
| Lorem Ipsum | 12 KM |
Railway Stations
| Railway Station Name | Distance |
|---|---|
| Secunderabad | 10 KM |
| Nampally | 12 KM |
| Begumpet | 6 KM |
| Lingampally | 20 KM |
Bus Stations
| Bus Station Name | Distance |
|---|---|
| MGBS | 35 KM |
| CBS | 28 KM |
| kukatpally | 20 KM |
| Lingampally | 30 KM |
| Uppal | 35 KM |
Private Transports
| Transport Name | Distance | Contact Number |
|---|---|---|
| Private Transport | 8 KM | 9546858757 |
| Private Transport1 | 8 KM | 9546858757 |
| Private Transport1 | 8 KM | 9546858757 |
| Private Transport1 | 8 KM | 9546858757 |
| Private Transport1 | 8 KM | 9546858757 |
Local Transports
| Transport Name | Distance | Contact Number |
|---|---|---|
| Local Transport | 5 KM | 9546858757 |
| Local Transport1 | 5 KM | 9546858757 |
| Local Transport1 | 5 KM | 9546858757 |
| Local Transport1 | 5 KM | 9546858757 |
| Local Transport1 | 5 KM | 9546858757 |
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