Famous Temples in India

Religious Significance

It is said that Lord Buddha had come to Sarnath after attaining “Nirvana” at Bodh Gaya and had met his first five disciples here. He preached to them the way to reach the same level of enlightenment that he had reached himself and asked them to teach others.

History of Gautama Buddha at Isipatana - The Gautam Buddha went from Bodhgaya to Sarnath after 5 weeks of his enlightenment. Before attaining his enlightenment, the Gautam has given up the Pancavaggiya monks to his austere penances and friends then he left them and went to the Isipatana. He enlightened five former companions using his spiritual powers as they were able to understand Dharma quickly. It is believed that he had to cross the Gange through air because he had no money to pay the ferryman. The Gautam Buddha had given his sermon to five monks known as his first sermon and called the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta. He spent his first rainy season at the Mulagandhakuti of Sarnath. The Buddha Sangha or community had grown from 5 to 60 in number. They sent by Buddha to all corner of the world to travel alone in order to teach the Dharma to people.

Isipatana after the Buddha: According to the Mahavamsa, there was a large community of monks at Isipatana in the 2nd century B.C. for, we are told that at the foundation ceremony of the Maha Thupa in Anuradhapura, twelve thousand monks were present from Isipatana led by the Elder Dhammasena. Xuanzang, a Chinese Buddhist monk, who traveled to India in the seventh century, found fifteen hundred monks studying the Hinayana at the Isipatana. In the enclosure of the Sangharama was a vihara about two hundred feet high, strongly built, its roof surmounted by a golden figure of the mango. In the center of the vihara was a life-size statue of the Buddha turning the wheel of the Law and to the south-west were the remains of a stone stupa built by King Ashoka. In front of it was a stone pillar to mark the spot where the Buddha preached his first sermon. Nearby was another stupa on the site where the Pancavaggiyas spent their time in meditation before the Buddha's arrival, and another where five hundred Pacceka Buddhas entered Nibbana. Close to it was another building where the future Buddha Metteyya received assurance of his becoming a Buddha. The Divy (389-94) mentions Ashoka as intimating to Upagupta, his desire to visit the places connected with the Buddha's activities and to erect stupas there. Thus he visited Lumbini, Bodhimula, Isipatana, Migadaya and Kusinagara, this is confirmed by Ashoka's lithic records

Legendary characteristics of Isipatana: According to the Buddhist commentarial scriptures, all the Buddhas preach their first sermon at the Migadaya in Isipatana. It is one of the four avijahitatthanani (unchanging spots), the others being the bodhi-pallanka, the spot at the gate of Sankassa, where the Buddha first touched the earth on his return from Tavatimsa and the site of the bed in the Gandhakuti in Jetavana. In past ages, Isipatana sometimes retained its name, as it did in the time of Phussa Buddha, Dhammadassi Buddha and Kassapa Buddha. Kassapa was born there. But more often Isipatana was known by different names (for these names see under those of the different Buddhas). Thus in the time of Vipassi Buddha, it was known as Khema-uyyana. It is the custom for all Buddhas to go through the air to Isipatana to preach their first sermon. Gautama Buddha, however, walked all the way, eighteen leagues, because he knew that by so doing he would meet Upaka, the Ajivaka, to whom he could be of service.