Sarnath Inscribed On UNESCO World Heritage List: Sarnath Buddhist site included in UNESCO World Heritage List, big achievement for UP

By Samira Vishwas On Jul 26, 2026

New Delhi. The Sarnath Buddhist site of Varanasi has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage list. Lord Gautam Buddha gave his first sermon in Sarnath itself. This is a big achievement for Uttar Pradesh. This historic announcement was made in the 48th session of UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee held in Busan city of South Korea. Sarnath is the 45th World Heritage Site of India and the fourth of UP. Earlier, Taj Mahal, Agra Fort and Fatehpur Sikri located in Agra, UP have been declared as World Heritage Sites.

Under the visionary leadership of Hon. PM Shri @narendramodi Ji, India’s timeless civilizational heritage continues to earn global recognition.
Sarnath’s inscription on the @UNESCO World Heritage List is a proud moment for every Indian and a shining reflection of Uttar Pradesh’s…
— Yogi Adityanath (@myogiadityanath) July 25, 2026

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India’s eternal civilizational heritage is getting global recognition. Sarnath’s inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage List is a proud moment for every Indian and is a brilliant reflection of the glorious spiritual and cultural heritage of Uttar Pradesh. Yogi said, Uttar Pradesh is ready to welcome people from all over the world to experience this eternal heritage.

Sarnath was included in the UNESCO tentative list in July 1998. Now after a long wait of almost 28 years, this historical site has been declared a World Heritage. Although every year a large number of tourists from all over the world, especially people from the Buddhist community, come to Sarnath, but now that this place has been declared a World Heritage, it will increase tourism as well as give wings to the development of the area. Dhammak Stupa located in Sarnath is a major site of Buddhism. The construction of this stupa was done by Emperor Ashoka in the third century. Apart from this, there is also Chaukhandi Stupa and Sarnath Museum in Sarnath where one gets a wonderful introduction to Buddhist art and culture.