About Archaeological Museum :
Sarnath has yielded a rich collection of sculptures, artifacts and edifices comprising numerous Buddha and Bodhisattva images and other ancient remains. To house all the findings and excavations at Sarnath, the Archaeological Survey of India established a site Museum at Sarnath. Finest specimens of Buddhist art and other important remains have been housed at the museum. While the single most famous exhibit of this museum is the lion capital, the Sarnath museum has a small but awe-inspiring collection of Buddhist artifacts. Among the things to see is a beautiful sculpture of the Buddha from the fifth century. The Buddha sits cross-legged, with eyes downcast in deep meditation, and a halo around his head. Also worth exploring are several beautiful figures of the bodhisattvas. Of other Buddhist remains there is an impressive and amazingly beautiful, life-size standing Bodhisattva and a delicate image of the Bodhisattva with a lotus and yet another bronze sculpture showing the Bodhisattva with multiple arms. The museum at Sarnath also houses an excellent collection of figures and sculptures from the Mauryan, the Kushana and the Gupta periods. Prominent of them is the earliest Buddha image found at Sarnath and many images of Hindu Gods dating from the 9th to 12th centuries. The main attraction of the Sarnath Archaeological Museum is the superb Ashokan Pillar. It has four back-to-back lions, which has been adopted as the National symbol of India. Below this are representations of a lion, an elephant, horse and the bull.
General Information about Archaeological Museum :
Location: Sarnath
State: Uttar Pradesh
Capital: Lucknow
Language: Hindi, English
Temperature: Max 42˚C, Min 27˚C (summer), Max 26˚C, Min 14˚C (winter)
Best Season: October to February
How to Reach Archaeological Museum :
By Air:
The nearest airport to Sarnath is Varanasi, which is an important domestic airport in India. Nearly all public and private airlines operate regular flights to Varanasi connecting it to cities like: Delhi, Mumbai, and Khajuraho. You may also approach Varanasi from Kathmandu
By Rail:
The nearest Railhead for Sarnath is also Varanasi, which is one of the main Railway Stations in the region. A large number of important trains link Varanasi to the rest of India.
By Road:
Sarnath lays only 10kms away from Varanasi by road. Varanasi as a major tourist destination and an important city in Uttar Pradesh is networked to a number of other important cities in India.