The main temple of Sarnath is called Mulgandha Kuti Vihar. It is the main attraction of Sarnath and this is where Gautam Budhha supposedly gave his first sermon. Often, it is referred to as ‘Sarnath Temple’.
I’ll share all the essential information about visiting the Sarnath temple on this page.
Sarnath Temple info at a glance
| Query | Details | Remarks |
|---|---|---|
| Opening time | 8 AM | Throughout the year |
| Closing time | 5:30 PM in Winter 6:00 PM in Summer | Different closing time in summer and winter season |
| Ticket booking and pricing | No tickets needed | There are no tickets for visiting Sarnath temple |
| Weekly closing day | None |
Main temple timing and more
The temple’s main gate opens for public at 8 in the morning. The gate closes at 5:30 PM in the winters and 6:00 PM in the summers.
You may see a few people in the park inside the temple premises early in the morning. Those are local people who come to jog, walk and do morning exercises in the park. This is not officially allowed but it has been accessible to the public through one of the side gates.
There are evening prayers performed at 6 in the evening but the general public cannot attend it. You can still hear the hymns and mantras from outside the temple premises, though.
There is a plan to extend temple timings till 9 at night in summers and 8 in winters. It will be done after facade lights have been installed to illuminate the temple premises at night.
What to see in Sarnath Temple
The Mulgandha Kuti Vihar temple is spread in a huge area. There are plenty of open spaces here.
From the gate itself you can see the Sarnath temple which is 50-70 meters away from the gate.
On the left side of this path is a huge open park. Local public and families may be found here picnicking, although food and beverages are not allowed in the temple premises.
When you reach the temple, you’ll see the Bodhi Mandap enclosure on the right. This is the place where Gautam Buddha supposedly gave his first sermon.
There is also a mini zoo called Sarnath Deer park behind the temple. The mini zoo charges an entry fee while all the other parts, park, temple, mandap is free to visit.
Do you need a guide?
That is totally up to you. You’ll find people offering you to show you around for as low as 50 rupees. They are not official guides and you should avoid them. Their main motive is to lead you to one of their affiliate souvenir or handloom shops.
The official guide rate set by the government is astronomical. I don’t understand why they levy such a high pricing.
As you can see in the photo above, the official government approved guide rate starts at INR 2050 for half a day.
What to expect in Sarnath Temple
You can spend an hour here. Visit the main temple and see all the murals and paintings depicting stories from Gautam Buddha’s life. There is also a golden statue of Budhha.
Other than that, you should surely visit the Bodhi Mandap which is just beside the temple. Churn the wheels here, do the parikrama and enjoy the serenity of the place.
Although the main Sarnath area, from the museum to the temple, is beautifully developed and only pedestrians are allowed, you can still see a few motorbikes and bicycles. Still, it’s a good walk to enjoy in the evening or in winter sun.
Although food and drinks are not allowed in the temple campus, it is not unusual to see people enjoying picknick and littering the place with left over food, wrappers and plastic plates and bottles. If only people had more civic sense, we would have more beautiful places.
There are plenty of stalls outside the temple and through out the Dharmapala road. They sell street food, cheap toys and local artifacts. Don’t forget to bargain, specially for the souvenirs.
You may enjoy some street food, although it’s not exceptional and hygiene is always a matter of concern. I sometimes eat chaat at Govind’s cart.
Possible scams to avoid
Beware of people trying to scam you to get some money out of you or lure you in one of their affiliate shops.
If you are a foreign national, specially a white person, everyone would want to charge more money from you. Unfortunately, white skin is equated with wealth here and things have not changed even though the British Raj ended 75 years ago.
I once saw a cotton candy seller trying to charge a white woman tourist ₹100 instead of usual ₹10. The lady was smart and she matched the timing and asked for the price at the same time when I was buying the cotton candy. That trick saved here ₹90. A penny saved is a penny earned.
You have to remove your shoes before entering the main temple. There is a designated area where you can keep shoes. There are no charges for keeping your shoe. I have seen a few ruffians trying to take advantage of unsuspecting tourists and extort a fee for “shoe keeping”. Don’t fall for that.
You’ll be approached by people offering to serve you as a guide for just 20, 50 or 100 rupees. That’s just a trick to lure you into one of the Benarasi handloom saree shops.
Enjoy Sarnath 🙂
