Sarnath becomes India's 45th heritage site to be inscribed on the World Heritage List of UNESCO
The ancient Buddhist site of Sarnath has now been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Located near Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, Sarnath is among the four holiest sites in Buddhism.
Today, on 25 July 2026 at the 48th Session of the World Heritage Committee being held at Busan, South Korea, India’s official nomination for 2025-26 cycle, “Ancient Buddhist Site of Sarnath” got inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, becoming India’s 45th property to receive this recognition.
The serial property called the "Ancient Buddhist Site, Sarnath" contains the architectural and archaeological remains of Sarnath, the sacred site where the Buddha is believed to have delivered his first sermon in the 6th century BCE and met his earliest disciples.
Over many centuries, Sarnath grew through royal, monastic, and lay patronage, resulting in the construction of numerous stupas, temples, and viharas. After flourishing as a major Buddhist centre, Sarnath declined in the 12th century CE and fell into obscurity after its devastating destruction, until its rediscovery in the 18th century.
The famous Lion Capital of the Mauryan Pillar that later became the National Emblem of India was found at Sarnath in 1905 by the German archaeologist Friedrich Oscar Oertel.
It is now preserved as two archaeological zones, and it remains both an important tourist destination as well as a revived pilgrimage site for Buddhists across the world.
About the Ancient Buddhist Site at Sarnath
The inscribed serial property in the UNESCO World Heritage List comprises two component parts – Chaukhandi Stupa and the Archaeological Remains of Sarnath (Dhamekh Stupa, Dharmrajika Stupa, Mulagandgakuti Vihara, Ashokan Pillar, etc.) – located within Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh.
Together these two components preserve the architectural and archaeological remains of the ancient site of Sarnath, known in the Buddhist tradition under different names – Rishipatana, Ishipatana, Mrigadava.
They all refer to the sacred sites where the Buddha visited in the 6th century BCE and delivered his first sermon known as the “Turning of the Wheel of the Law” (Dharmachakra pravartana). This event marked the inception of the Buddhist sangha and the establishment of the principles of the Noble Eightfold Path.
Indicated by the Buddha himself to be one of the four key sites of Buddhist pilgrimage, Sarnath developed over centuries through royal, monastic, and lay patronage.
Numerous stupas, temples and viharas were constructed around what is believed to be the place of the first sermon of Gautama Buddha and the site where he met his first disciples.
The monastic settlement of Sarnath continued until the last decade of 12th century CE until when it was devastated in 1194 CE by Muhammad Ghori, when his general Qutb-ud-din defeated Jai Chand the King of Banaras, and catastrophically destroyed a large number of temples and images. After that it fell into ruins and obscurity until its re-discovery in the 18th century CE.
Also in the 18th century itself, one of the Stupas in Sarnath, called the Dharmarajika Stupa, was unfortunately dismantled in 1794 CE by the workmen of Jagat Singh, who was the Dewan of Raja Chet Singh of Banaras, for reusing the structre's materials as building materials elsewhere. Today, only its circular base exists at Sarnath.
Even before its final destruction at the hands of the forces of Muhammad Ghori, Sarnath had already suffered wanton destruction several times over the centuries at the hands of hostile invaders or due to the neglect of the devotees, for example, the earliest believed to be by the Huns led by Mihirakula in early 6th century CE and later in the 11th century CE by the great iconoclast Mahmud of Ghazni. However, they were always rebuilt or renewed by pious worshippers but the final blow and decline in the 12th century CE led it to remain in ruins thereafter.
The World Heritage site comprises an ensemble of ancient monuments constructed from the pre-Mauryan period (5th-4th centuries BCE to 3rd century BCE) up until the destruction of Sarnath in the 12th century CE (with some later additions).
Sarnath has been one of the most extensively excavated sites by the Archaeological Survey of India which resulted in a stratified settlement spread across 16 centuries (5th-4th centuries BCE to 12th century CE).
The Chaukhandi Stupa is located about 700 metres south of the excavated site of Sarnath in Varanasi. It is an ancient Buddhist monument of great significance. However, the octagonal tower over its lofty brick structure was built in 1588 CE by Goverdhan, son of Raja Todarmal, during his tenure as Governor under the Mughal Emperor Akbar, to commemorate the visit of Humayun.
After the declaration of Sarnath as the World Heritage Property, three of the four most significant Buddhist Pilgrim sites; i.e. Lumbini (Nepal), Mahabodhi Temple, Bodhgaya (Bihar) and now Sarnath (Uttar Pradesh) are now included in the World Heritage, along with several other important Buddhist sites such as Sanchi, Nalanda, Ajanta (all three in India), Anuradhapur (Sri Lanka) Paharpur (Bangladesh), Tashashila and Takht-i-Bahi (both in present day Pakistan), etc.
Sarnath as a UNESCO World Heritage Property
The ancient site of Sarnath was included in the Tentative List of World Heritage, back in 1998. The proposal to include the site in the list of World Heritage was sent to the consideration of World Heritage Committee on Jan 2025, and after a rigorous eighteen-month long process involving several technical meetings with the advisory bodies and visit of ICOMOS’s mission to review the site, this historic decision was taken by the members of the World Heritage Committee today evening on 25 July 2026 at Busan, South Korea.
The “Ancient Buddhist Site of Sarnath” is nominated under criteria (iii) and (vi), recognising enduring spiritual significance of Sarnath Cr. (iii), one of the four principal destinations of Buddhist pilgrimage, as demonstrated by the large number of religious buildings and other monuments that were built and rebuilt on-site during the many centuries of its existence and through Cr.(vi) direct and tangible way to the events in the life of the Buddha that are of outstanding significance to the Buddhist community – his first sermon and meeting of his first disciples.
The importance of these events and their meaning is carried by the numerous constructions erected at Sarnath over the centuries, which are a response to the message of the Buddha, his teachings, and the concept of Triratna.
The site has been subjected to extensive excavations by the ASI since the 19th century, showcasing cultural layers from as early as 5-4th century BCE till 12th century CE, indicating constant patronage and activities from pre-Mauryan levels till the Rajput period.
For over 150 years, the Archaeological Survey of India has been excavating and conserving the Ancient Buddhist Site of Sarnath, leading to the discovery and identification of Sarnath with the place where Shakyamuni Buddha gave his first Sermon.
The famous Mauryan Lion Pillar that later became the National Emblem of India and the Dharkachakrapravartan Buddha from the Classic Gupta Art were found from the excavations that are presently displayed at the India's earliest site Museum, which was established in 1904.
World Heritage status would reinforce India's identity as the birthplace of Buddhism and enhance cultural diplomacy with nations such as Japan, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Cambodia, Vietnam, South Korea, Mongolia, etc.
This recognition would further support India's efforts to promote Buddhist heritage as a bridge for international engagement and would also showcase India's expertise in heritage conservation and preparedness in nomination process.
India's growing list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites
With 45 sites in the UNESCO World Heritage List, India ranks 6th globally and 2nd in Asia Pacific Region for the most number of World Heritage Sites, as of now in July 2026. 196 nations have ratified the World Heritage Convention, 1972.
Last year, ‘the Maratha Military Landscapes of India’ were inscribed in the World Heritage List at the 47th Session of the World Heritage Committee held at UNESCO Headquarters at Paris.
India also has 69 sites in the Tentative List of the World Heritage, which is a mandatory threshold for any site to be considered as a World Heritage property in the future. Every year, each State Party may propose just one site for consideration of the World Heritage Committee for inscription to the World Heritage List.
The purpose of including these heritage sites in UNESCO’s list is to preserve and promote shared heritage based on OUVs (Outstanding Universal Values) found in cultural, natural as well as mixed properties across 196 countries. On its part, India became a member of the coveted World Heritage Committee from 2021-25 and also hosted for the first time the World Heritage Committee Meeting in July 2024 at New Delhi.
As per the Ministry of Culture, this global recognition is a testimony to New India’s relentless pursuit of highlighting Bharat’s heritage on the world forum. This recognition underscores the conservation and management efforts of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) in preserving these historic treasures.
On behalf of the Government of India, Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is the nodal agency of all the World Heritage related matters in the country.
With this global recognition, India affirms its commitment to protect Sarnath's Outstanding Universal Value by managing tourism sustainably and prevent unplanned development in the buffer zone in order to preserve authenticity and integrity of the property.
- “Ancient Buddhist Site of Sarnath” Inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage List - Ministry of Culture, Govt. of India, on PIB. Posted On: 25 JUL 2026 6:04PM by PIB Delhi
- Ancient Buddhist Site of Sarnath - UNESCO World Heritage Centre
- Post by Archaeological Survey of India @ASIGoI on X, 8:54 PM - Sep 27, 2025
- Guide to the Buddhist ruins of Sarnath by Sahni, Daya Ram, Archaeological Survey of India, 1933, Central Archaeological Library, New Delhi. (Pages: 5, 6)
- Dhamek Stupa - Archaeological Survey of India, Sarnath Circle