CJP Jantar Mantar Protest Updates
What adds to the celebration is that the recognition comes 28 years after Sarnath was placed on Unesco’s Tentative List in July 1998.The Unesco tag will cover the Chaukhandi Stupa and the Archaeological Remains of Sarnath, located about 626 metres apart.Chaukhandi Stupa commemorates Buddha’s meeting with his five companions after enlightenment, while the archaeological complex includes the Dhamek Stupa, Dharmarajika Stupa, the Ashokan Pillar and extensive monastic remains.Together, they preserve the site where Buddha delivered the Dhamma-chakra-pravartana (First Sermon), setting the Wheel of Dhamma (or dharma) in motion and laying the foundation of the Buddhist Sangha.For Buddhists across the world, Sarnath marks one of the defining moments in the faith’s history. The sacred landscape has sustained a pilgrimage tradition for nearly 2,500 years and preserves some of the earliest surviving examples of Buddhist monastic architecture, art and learning.PM Narendra Modi hailed the announcement. “Delighted that Sarnath has been inscribed on the Unesco World Heritage List. Sarnath has a close association with Lord Buddha, whose timeless message of wisdom, compassion and harmony inspires the world. This recognition celebrates India’s profound civilisational and spiritual heritage. It will also inspire more people across the world to come to Sarnath and connect with the ideals of Lord Buddha,” he wrote on X.CM Yogi Adityanath called it a proud moment for all Indians. “Sarnath’s inscription on the Unesco World Heritage List is a proud moment for every Indian and a shining reflection of Uttar Pradesh’s glorious spiritual and cultural legacy. Uttar Pradesh welcomes the world to experience this eternal heritage,” he wrote on X.UP tourism and culture minister Jaiveer Singh described it as a landmark achievement for Uttar Pradesh’s cultural heritage. “From the land of Lord Buddha and the Ramayan to Jain, Sufi and other spiritual traditions, Uttar Pradesh carries an extraordinary civilisational legacy. Sarnath’s recognition after a 28-year wait is a historic achievement that will give our Buddhist Circuit a major global push while taking Uttar Pradesh’s message of peace, spirituality and cultural inclusivity to a much wider international audience,” he said.Additional chief secretary, tourism, culture and religious affairs, Amrit Abhijat, said the inscription validated Uttar Pradesh’s sustained efforts to position itself as the heartland of Buddhist pilgrimage.“Sarnath has been central to our strategy of taking UP’s Buddhist heritage to international audiences. Through travel trade engagement, familiarisation visits, Buddhist celebrations and investments in visitor infrastructure, we have worked to build a stronger global presence for the state’s Buddhist Circuit. Unesco recognition gives those efforts an even stronger platform and is expected to increase international footfall while encouraging visitors to explore destinations across the circuit,” he said.Conservation architect Abha Narain Lambah, who prepared Sarnath’s Unesco nomination dossier, said the site’s exceptional value lay in the combination of its history and living traditions. “Sarnath uniquely brings together the place of Buddha’s First Sermon, the beginnings of the Buddhist Sangha and an unbroken pilgrimage tradition spanning nearly 2,500 years. That is what gives it an exceptional place in world heritage,” she said.The Heritage tag will further strengthen Uttar Pradesh’s Buddhist tourism strategy, which links Sarnath with destinations such as Kushinagar, Shravasti, Kapilvastu, Kaushambi and Sankisa.Officials believe the Unesco tag will not only attract more international pilgrims and heritage travellers but also encourage longer stays and wider exploration of the state’s Buddhist circuit, giving a fresh impetus to tourism in eastern Uttar Pradesh.GFXGlobal Glory– Buddha delivered his First Sermon at Sarnath after Enlightenment-Birthplace of the Buddhist Sangha-Known for nearly 2,500 years of continuous Buddhist pilgrimage tradition-Sarnath is 45th Unesco World Heritage Site in India-4th UnescoWorld Heritage Site in UP-On Unesco’s Tentative List since 1998-Expected to boost UP’s Buddhist Circuit and international tourism
