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History |
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According to Pali and Sanskrit texts Sarnath was known as Isipatana - Mrigadaya. It was a land of saints who lived for meditation and where the deers were moving freely.It was 8-10 Km. north of Varanasi across the river Varuna and full of dense forest . The Lord Buddha came here in 528 B.C. from BodhGaya after enlightenment .Here he met his five companion to whom he gave his first discourse. The Buddhist texts describe this event as the dharmachakra - pravartana means "turning of the wheel of law ". The great Mouryan emperor Ashoka had come to Sarnath 2300 years ago . He wanted to spread the message of Buddha in whole India . He constructed several monuments and some stupas as Dharmrajika stupa , Dhamekh stupa and also the Lion Capital ,which is now the National emblem of India . During Gupta's Golden age of great king Chandragupta II, (A.D.376-414)art & culture flourised in Sarnath. The Chinese piligrim Fa-hiyan came and recorded the people's prosperity and wealthiness.He had also described the impressive number and quality of Buddhist monuments . Sarnath's prosperity lasted right up until 1017,when Mahmood Gajni began the systematic distruction of all monuments . After this Sarnath's monuments fell into disrepair until Angarik Dharampal,a SriLankan Buddhist disciple,who had rejuvenated the Sarnath's importance in the world. The Britisher Cunningham took an interest in restoring Sarnath. But it was Anagarik Dharampal who with a fervent campaigning heart began the restoration and preservation of Sarnath .
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