"... here at Sarnath he turned twelve wheels of Dharma ...
Keep in mind this most beautiful wood,
named by the great rishi,
where ninety-one thousand kotis of Buddhas
formerly turned the Wheel.
This place is matchless, perfectly calm,
contemplating, always frequented by deer.
In this most beautiful of parks,
whose name was given by the rishi,
I will turn the holy Wheel."
— Voice of the Buddha
Despite being considered one of the major pilgrimage sites for Buddhists all over the world, I only heard of Sarnath from Pallavi—the owner of Stops Hostels in Varanasi—when we asked for recommendations of other places to visit. Imagine my fascination rising to an ultimate high when I found out that the Isipatana, or the deer park in Sarnath, was the place where Gautama Buddha first taught the Dharma, a key behavioral concept widely included in the teachings of several faiths, namely Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism, and Sikhism.
Exploring Sarnath: Where Buddha First Taught the Dharma
The Isipatana isn't that expansive compared to other archaeological and ancient religious sites in Cambodia, Thailand, and Myanmar. Still, it boasts some of the most extensive ruins, considered among the most sacred Buddhist sites. There are several stupas, remnants of excavated old monasteries, museums, temples, courtyards, and lush gardens that can be found inside the Deer Park.
A Chaotic Ride Through Varanasi
We boarded a tuktuk from our hostel and traveled over the dusty, busy roads of Varanasi for a little over an hour. Along the way, I tried fighting off sleep by examining the bustling street activity, which was, as usual, overwhelming to the senses. Nothing surprised me because it was the India I had come to expect. Aileen was covering her nose, fearing the dust might cause her asthma to relapse. Throughout the trip, I worried for her, and amidst the never-ending blowing of horns from all directions, I kept an eye on the road ahead—holding tightly and praying we wouldn't crash into a barrier, a cow, or anyone randomly crossing the street. Our tuktuk driver blazed through the maze-like streets of Varanasi like a man whose pants were on fire.
Pilgrims and Scholars in the Deer Park
Inside the park, we saw a group of women workers digging up a site, filling their buckets with hardened soil and loose rocks and carrying them over their heads draped in colorful sari headscarves. There were mostly Chinese tourists—practicing Buddhists, I assumed—crowding inside Isipatana. They were engaged in various ways of paying their respects: some were meditating, others praying, and a few were kneeling, staring wide-eyed and letting the rays of the sun shine upon them.
I saw Aileen mingling with a Japanese monk from a distance. I thought I had lost her again, since we always ended up searching for each other at every place we visited. [Spoiler alert: something that would occur frequently in the next stages of our India trip, especially inside the humongous forts in the state of Rajasthan.]
When I walked toward Aileen, I overheard the Japanese monk bidding her farewell and promising to add her on Facebook. I positioned myself against the sun and stared at the Dhamek Stupa—considered the most sacred structure inside the deer park—where the Buddha recited his first sermon to his five disciples right after he attained enlightenment. He followed it by teaching the Dharmacakra (or the Dharma Wheel), which represents the "Eightfold Path to Nirvana."
Too bad the Sarnath Archaeological Museum was closed that day. As we wrapped up our visit just before lunchtime, I felt hungry and decided to try some street food outside while Aileen watched me in fascination. I kidded her that the utensils given to me appeared unwashed. She replied, "Noooo!" but I used them anyway.
My stomach didn't turn topsy-turvy after that; maybe the utensils were clean after all! I couldn't deny the fact that our visit to Sarnath was truly something else. I kept reciting those words in my head: "where Gautama Buddha first taught the Dharma." I think that put a smile on my face as we raced back to our hostel aboard the same tuktuk. Later that afternoon, we would catch an overnight train to Agra. Yes! Taj Mahal, here we come!
