Dhamek Stupa, Sarnath, Uttar Pradesh Dec 23, 2024

Dhamek Stupa, Sarnath, Uttar Pradesh

Welcome to Sarnath, home of the celebrated marvel of Buddhism—Dhamek Stupa, featured in today"s image. This structure was built on the very spot where Buddha shared his first-ever sermon with his first five disciples. Originally built in 500 CE to replace an earlier monument commissioned by Emperor Ashoka in 249 BCE, it holds a legacy as rich as its carvings. With a solid base of 28 metres in diameter and a towering height of 43.6 metres, it merges stone and brick in a design that"s both massive and intricate. The lower stonework boasts delicate floral carvings from the Gupta era, while its walls feature finely detailed depictions of humans, birds and inscriptions in the ancient Brahmi script. Although the stupa has been expanded six times over the centuries, the upper section remains unfinished. Standing before it, one can"t help but marvel at the stories it holds.

© Dinodia Photo/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

Ive got a lot of problems with you penguins!
Dec 23, 2023Chinstrap penguins

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Aug 23, 2025St. Barbaras Cathedral, Kutná Hora, Czechia
Apr 24, 2024The white trilliums in Ontario, Canada
Sep 4, 2025Grizzly bears, Katmai National Park and Preserve, United States
Jun 21, 2025International Day of Yoga
Park of the Monsters
Hovering over harmonious horticulture
Feb 25, 2024Cowichan Valley, Vancouver Island, Canada
Stretching out in the Everglades
Heaven meets Earth!
May 26, 2025Agrasen Ki Baoli, Connaught Place, New Delhi
Jul 4, 2024Dam, lake and mountains in Kerala
Oct 21, 2024Cypress trees in George L. Smith State Park, Georgia, United States
Where is this ethereal mountain?
A beacon in the golden light
May 20, 2025World Bee Day
Jun 1, 2025World Reef Awareness Day
Feb 28, 2025Tibetan New Year
Where is this historic hotel?
Nov 14, 2023Russell lupines, Lake Tekapo, New Zealand
Sep 3, 2024Crystal Lake in the Enchantments, Washington, United States
A grand view
Nov 16, 2025A traboule in Lyon, France
Sep 9, 2024Iguazu Falls at the border of Argentina and Brazil
May 30, 2024Everglades National Park, Florida, USA
Nov 21, 2024Lion cubs, South Africa
Jun 28, 2025Anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising
Sep 16, 2025Nighttime view over the Gulf Coast
Jun 24, 2024Kelimutu, Flores, Indonesia
Remembering the Mahatma
Jul 5, 2025Tour de France