DHAMEKH STUPA OR DHARMA CHAKRA STUPA,SARNATH,VARANASI.

DHAMEKH STUPA OR DHARMA CHAKRA STUPA,SARNATH,VARANASI. Dhamek Stupa is the most noticeable structure in Sarnath, near Varanasi. It is one of the most prominent Buddhist structures in India. The Dhamek Stupa was built in 500 CE to replace an earlier structure commissioned by the great Mauryan king Ashoka in 249 BCE. The Dhamek Stupa represents the deer park (Rishipattana). This park is said to be of great importance as Buddha gave his first sermon here after attaining enlightenment, to his disciples that revealed his “Eightfold Path“. The Stupa is 28 meters in diameter at the base and 43.6 meters in height, built partly of stone and partly of brick. The stone facing the lower part is adorned with delicate floral carvings of Gupta origin. The stupa was enlarged on six occasions but the upper part is still unfinished. The wall is covered with exquisitely carved figures of humans and birds, as well as inscriptions in the Brahmi script. ACCORDING TO AN INSCRIPTION DATED 1026 A.D. RECOVERED FROM THE SITE, ITS OLD NAME WAS DHARMA CHAKRA STUPA. IT IS PERHAPS COMMEMORATING THE SPOT WHERE LORD BUDDHA PREACHED HIS FIRST SERMON. IN SEARCH OF THE RELIC CASKET ALEXANDER CUNNINGHAM BORED A VERTICAL SHAFT THROUGH ITS CENTER DOWN TO THE FOUNDATION LEVEL AND AT A DEPTH OF 3.20 METERS, HE FOUND A SLAB WITH THE INSCRIPTION OF BUDDHIST CREED "YE DHAMMA HETU PRABHAVA......." WRITTEN IN THE BRAHMI SCRIPT OF 6TH - 7TH CENTURY A.D. FURTHER BELOW, HE TRACED OUT A STUPA MADE OF MAURYAN BRICKS. HOWEVER, THE PRESENT DIAMETER OF THIS SOLID CYLINDRICAL TOWER IS 28.5 METERS AT THE BASE AND 33.35 METERS N HEIGHT. ITS TOTAL HEIGHT IS 39.05 METERS INCLUDING THE FOUNDATION. THE STRUCTURE CONSISTS OF A CIRCULAR STONE DRUM UPTO THE HEIGHT OF 13.11 METERS FROM THE GROUND ABOVE WHICH RISES THE CYLINDRICAL MASS OF BRICK WORK ABOUT 7.5 METERS ABOVE THE BASE. EIGHT NICHES ARE PROVIDED IN EIGHT DIRECTIONS WHICH MUST HAVE CONTAINED IMAGES OF BUDDHA. BELOW THEM RUNS A BROAD COURSE OF BEAUTIFULLY CARVED STONES HAVING GEOMETRIC DESIGNS OF SWASTIKA, LEAF AND FLORAL PATTERNS COMBINED WITH BIRDS AND HUMAN FIGURES.