Sārnāth monastery, (in) Sārnāth, Uttar Pradesh, IN

Raw data

Sarnath was a major teaching location for the Buddha and a long-standing site for monasteries. The earliest documented structures are from the fourth century BCE. the earliest documented monasteries are the first century CE. it was an active site that was apparently destroyed by the White Huns in the fifth century and rebuilt in the seventh century. When Xuan Zang [Xuanzang] visited in the 640's CE he observed 8 monasteries and 1500 monks on the site. Inscriptions show kingly patronage in the eighth and ninth centuries. Sarnath was destroyed by Mahmud of Ghazni in 1071, but once again soon restored. The last monastery on the site was dedicated in the 12th century. The site was abandoned a few decades later.
In the 1930's a new monastery was constructed at the site and several more have been built in the twentieth century. The site is currently in active use, with monks and pilgrims coming from Sri Lanka, Japan and the West.
Located in U.P., India. 25/23 N. 80/02 E See Travels of Huen-Tsang translated by Beal Vol II, pp. 41-61. See BC Bhattacharya, The History of Saranatha or the Cradle of Buddhism (Delhi: Pilgrim Book Pvt. Ltd., revised edition, 1999), pp. 46-47. See See D.C. Ahir, Buddhist Sites and Shrines in India: History, Art and Architecture (Delhi: Inian Books Centre, 2003) p.253.
Src: India
Input by: SG Jan 20 2009

"Several Buddhist structures were raised at Sarnath between the 3rd century BC and the 11th century AD, and today it presents the most expansive ruins amongst places on the Buddhist trail. Sarnath is 10 km from the holy city of Varanasi."
http://www.spiritualjourneys.net/Venues/sarnath.htm

ID: 7001588 Sārnāth (historic site)
Coordinates:
Lat: 25 23 00 N degrees minutes Lat: 25.3833 decimal degrees
Long: 083 02 00 E degrees minutes Long: 83.0333 decimal degrees
Src: (TGN. n.d. Record ID: 7001588)
Input by: tmciolek, Mar 4, 2009

Final data (and their sources)

Last updated: 12 Jul 2014

Lat/Long coordinates' accuracy:
The monastery in question is assumed to be situated actually no farther than 2 km from the point defined by the coordinates below.

Location of Sarnath monastery, India.

General location of the Sarnath monastery, India.
lat=25.3833 long=83.0333
Mapping & images: Falling Rain Genomics (http://maps.fallingrain.com), 2009.


Google Map link:

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=25.3833+83.0333+(Approx.%20loc.%20of%20the%20Sarnath%20monastery,%20IN)&ll=25.3833,83.0333&spn=05.0,05.0&t=k&hl=en


Final data - explanatory notes

1. Monastery's name

  • Sārnāth monastery (Bhattacharya 1999:46-47)

2. Monastery's modern country & province

  • India:State of Uttar Pradesh

3. Monastery's alternative/historical names

  • [missing data]

4. Monastery's lat/long coordinates

  • Approx. Lat 25.3833 Long 83.0333 Src: (TGN. n.d. Record ID: 7001588)
  • Approx. 25/23 N. 80/02 E or Lat 25.3833 Long 80.0333 (Travels of Huen-Tsang translated by Beal Vol II, pp. 41-61)

5. Other known nearby Buddhist monasteries


6. Modern name of the known nearest city, town, or village

  • Sārnāth (historic site) (TGN. n.d. Record ID: 7001588)
  • Saranatha (Bhattacharya 1999:46-47)

7. The settlement's alternative/historical names

  • [missing data]

8. The settlement's coordinates


9. Monastery's major Buddhist tradition

  • [missing data]

10. Monastery's Buddhist sub-tradition

  • [missing data]

11. Date-early

  • Active at the times of Buddha - Ahir (2003:253)

MBM chrono-tag: <=0200 - tmciolek 12  Jul 2014
<=0200 0200-32c 0233-66c 0267-99c 0300-32c 0333-66c 0367-99c 0400-32c 0433-66c 0467-99c 0500-32c 0533-66c 0567-99c 0600-32c 0633-66c 0667-99c 0700-32c 0733-66c 0767-99c 0800-32c 0833-66c 0867-99c 0900-32c 0933-66c 0967-99c 1000-32c 1033-66p dated-el


12. Date-intermediate

  • 640's AD (Bhattacharya 1999:46-47).

13. Date-late

MBM chrono-tag: 1033-66p - tmciolek 12  Jul 2014


14. Details of contacts with other monasteries

  • [missing data]

15. Type of evidence regarding the monastery

  • archaeological, inscriptional, texts

16. Additional notes

  • 640's AD - 8 monasteries and 1500 monks (Bhattacharya 1999:46-47).

17. Corrections & addenda to this page were kindly provided by

  • [missing data]

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