Chaukhandi Stupa Descriptive Sign at Sarnath
Sarnath, located 13km north of Varanasi, is the site of Buddha's first sermon in the 6th Century BC. It is mentioned by the Buddha as one of the four places of pilgrimage which his devout followers should visit, if they wish to visit a place for that reason. Here is a description of the Stupas, whose pictures follow.
Chaukhandi Stupa
Stupas are descendents of burial mounds and serve as shrines for relics of the Buddha. The Chaukhandi Stupa is thought originally to have been built as a terraced temple during the Gupta period between the 4th to 6th Century to mark the site where Lord Buddha and his first disciples met traveling from Bodh Gaya to Sarnath. Later Govardhan, the son of a Raja, modified the stupa to its present shape by building the octagonal tower to commemorate the visit of Humayun, the powerful Mughal ruler.
Chaukhandi Stupa
Today the stupa is a high earthen mound covered with a brickwork edifice topped by an octagonal tower. It is maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India. It is undergoing restoration.
Sarnath Stupa
Over the centuries, Sarnath flourished as a center of Buddhist art and teaching. In the 7th century AD, a Chinese pilgrim recounted seeing 30 monasteries, supporting 3000 monks. Sarnath floundered under Muslim invasions and the resurgence of Hinduism. Buddhism then essentially disappeared from India, and much of the site lay in ruins for almost 1000 years.
Foundations of the Dharmarajika Stupa
To the left of the guide are the circular foundations of one of the few pre-Ashokan (i.e. before 300BC) stupas remaining. The rest of the Dharmarajika Stupa was removed to Varanasi to be used as building materials in the 18h century. At that time, also relics were found in the Dharmarajika Stupa. These relics were subsequently thrown in the Ganges river. Emperor Ashoka the Great (304 BC – 232 BC) was one of the first leaders to embrace Buddhism, and did much to spread that faith throughout the region.
Our Guide Recounts the Story of the Lord of the Deer
Sarnath, from Saranganath, means "Lord of the Deer" and relates to an old Buddhist story: In one of Buddha's former lives, he was lord of a herd of deer. After much indiscriminate plundering of the herd by a local king, an agreement was made with him that one of the would be offered for the king's table and only when it is necessary. The turn came of a doe. She was pregnant and, while willing to offer herself, did not wish to offer her fawn. Bodhisattva offered himself instead of her. This act impressed the king so much that he not only resolved to refrain from killing deer in future, but also gave the park to them.
Silk Shop in Varanasi
Varanasi is renowned for its silk weaving workshops. In the lower left corner there is a stack of cloths woven with metallic thread on a black ground which were woven using a naksha loom. We were able to see such a loom in another room. Today there are five clans operating five Naksha looms. The design of the looms is not documented, and there is a real danger that this art will die.
About Naksha Weaving
Naksha looms are operated by two weavers: One, sitting on a bench positioned above the warp threads and facing the harness, pulls the weft threads using an extremely complicated system of bundles of cotton strings to create the pattern. The other, seated at the other end of the loom, operates the shuttle for the actual weaving. This method was replaced by the faster Jacquard loom in the 19th century, however the new technology cannot be used for designs as complex and fine as those produced by the naksha loom.
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