
Sarnath is a place located 10 kilometres north-east of Varanasi near the confluence of the Ganges and the Varuna rivers in Uttar Pradesh, India. The deer park in Sarnath is where Gautama Buddha first taught the Dhamma, and where the Buddhist Sangha came into existence through the enlightenment of Kondanna. There are several monuments at Sarnath which are divided into two groups. Under Group 'A' Chaukhandi Stupa and under Group 'B all other .monuments at the sites i.e. Stupas, monasteries, temples, etc. Chaukhandi Stupa is a lofty brick structure crowned with an octagonal tower. The Buddhist structures were raised at Sarnath between the 3rd century BC and the 11th century AD, and today it presents the most expensive ruins amongst places on the Buddhist trail.