Tue, Nov 24: Varanasi

We got to sleep in a bit today and then headed out for a 20 or so minute drive to the Sarnath Temple, just outside of Varanasi.  The temple is located where Lord Buddha is reported to have preached his first sermon.

The temple had a lot of pilgrims and a large group of dancers and musicians from Sri Lanka.  

After visiting the temple we wandered over to the Bodhi tree complex.  The Bodhi tree is reported to be a sapling from a sapling from a sapling…from the sapling that Lord Buddha’s daughter took from the original Bodhi tree under which Lord Buddha found enlightenment.  She took her sapling to Sri Lanka and this site then eventually got their sapling from Sri Lanka.

We then transferred to the Deer Park next door.  There are no longer any deer there but there are a lot of archeological ruins from the period a couple of hundred years after Buddha was there.  

The park included the very large Dhamek Stupa.

We then went to the Sarnath Archaeological Museum where many of the artifacts from the archaeological digs were on display and then on to a South Indian restaurant where everyone ordered a la carte and then Tara ordered a ton more food.  We were all very overstuffed.

Some of the group went to a silk factory to see silk fabrics being made.

After a rest at the hotel we headed out to John and Gail’s hotel where some of Tara’s friends were holding an early Dev Deepavali dinner so that we could all participate.  Of course, the hotel is owned by a school friend of Tara’s.  The food was particularly good (all Indian although they did have some ice cream for dessert).  It was really late so we headed back to crash for a few hours before we had to get up for the next round tomorrow morning