Evening chanting at Mulagandha Kuti Vihara
Mulagandha Kuti Vihara was built in 1931 by the Maha Bodhi Society, founded by the Sri Lankan Buddhist leader Anagarika Dharmapala to restore India's Buddhist sites. The temple's walls carry murals of the Buddha's life by the Japanese painter Kosetsu Nosu, completed in the 1930s, and relics are kept in the shrine.
In the evening, monks gather to chant in Pali, and visitors may sit at the back and listen. The temple is cool and dim, with the gilded Buddha lit at the front. Outside, a Bodhi tree grown from a cutting of the sacred tree at Anuradhapura in Sri Lanka, itself said to come from Bodh Gaya's original, is hung with prayer flags.
Your guide explains the link between Sarnath, Sri Lanka and Bodh Gaya, and the revival of Buddhism in India in the 20th century. We then drive back to Varanasi in time for dinner, or for a late view of the ghats. Chanting times change with the season, so check on the day.
Questions travellers ask
Good to know
What time is the evening chanting at Sarnath?
Chanting at Mulagandha Kuti Vihara is usually held around dusk, which is roughly 5:30 to 6 pm in winter. Times vary with the season and on festival days. Our guide confirms the time on the morning of your visit, so we can plan the afternoon around it.
Can visitors join the chanting at Sarnath?
Visitors are welcome to sit quietly at the back of the temple during the chanting. Remove shoes, dress modestly and turn off phones. You do not need to know the chants. Some visitors also make a small donation or offer flowers or candles, which are sold nearby.
Who painted the murals in Mulagandha Kuti Vihara?
The murals showing the life of the Buddha were painted by the Japanese artist Kosetsu Nosu in the 1930s, after the temple was built by the Maha Bodhi Society in 1931. They show scenes from his birth at Lumbini to his death at Kushinagar, and are one of the temple's main attractions.
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