Festivals at Sarnath

As in all Buddhist pilgrim sites, Buddha Purnima is the most important festival of the year at Sarnath. This falls on the full moon day and night in the month of Baisakh and usually falls in April / May. Pilgrims gather at Sarnath from across the world. On the day there are day-long prayers, processions of chanting monks and nuns and sermons by senior teachers.

The founding day of the Mulagandha Kuti Vihara is celebrated on the first full moon of November. A colourful fair springs up around the complex and there are gatherings of monks and scholars.