Chaukhandi Buddhist Stupa, Uttar Pradesh

Address

Chaukhandi Stupa Rishpattan Rd, Near, Sarnath, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh 221007

Diety

Buddha

Introduction

Chaukhandi Stupa is a Buddhist stupa in Sarnath located 8 kilometres from Cantt Railway Station in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India. Stupas have evolved from burial mounds and serve as a shrine for a relic of the Buddha. The site was declared to be a monument of national importance by the Archaeological Survey of India in June 2019 Chaukhandi Stupa is said to have developed from a centuries-old burial mound. Chaukhandi Stupa is a perfect place to meditate and to attain peace of mind. In the vicinity of this popular Buddhist stupa in Sarnath, ruins of centuries-old monasteries, which also include verandas and courtyards, can also be seen. Such is the charm of Chaukhandi Stupa that Buddhist followers from round the world visit the place, and hence, the site holds immense religious importance.

Puranic Significance

The Chaukhandi Stupa is thought originally to have been built as a terraced temple during the Gupta period between the 4th and 6th centuries to mark the site where Buddha and his first disciples met traveling from Bodh Gaya to Sarnath. Later Govardhan, the son of a Raja Todar Mal, modified the stupa to its present shape by building the octagonal tower to commemorate the visit of Humayun, the powerful Mughal ruler. Today the stupa is a high earthen mound covered with a brickwork edifice topped by an octagonal tower. It is maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India.