Dhamekh Stupa & Monastery Ruins Sarnath

Set in a peaceful park containing monastery ruins is this impressive 34m stupa, marking the spot where the Buddha preached his first sermon. The floral and geometric carvings are 5th century AD, but some of the brickwork dates back as far as 200 BC.Nearby is the 3rd-century-BC Ashoka Pillar, engraved with an edict. It once stood 15m tall and had the famous four-lion capital, now in the museum, perched atop; all that remains are five fragments of its base.