Sarnath: Varanasi's Perfect Picnic Spot with Mini Zoo, Temples & Ancient History

• Sarnath offers a diverse range of attractions including a mini zoo, deer park, museum, temples, and heritage sites, making it an ideal picnic destination.
• It is the site of Mahatma Buddha's first sermon and a significant center of faith for many Buddhist countries, featuring a temple with Buddha's bone relics and a Japanese temple.
• The location also holds importance for Sanatan (Hindu) faith, housing the ancient Sarangnath Mahadev temple with two Shivlings.
• The mini zoo boasts numerous species of turtles, gharials, crocodiles, and a variety of birds like cranes, ostriches, and parrots; the Deer Park is home to over 500 deer, blackbucks, and barasingha.
• Sarnath's museum, maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India, preserves over 6800 ancient sculptures, including the original Ashoka Pillar from 250 BCE, and offers a light and sound show at Chaukhandi Stupa.