This peaceful looking sculpture of Buddha was originally from Sarnath, Banaras, Uttar Pradesh. It belongs to the Gupta dynasty which dates it back to 5 CE. It is made of stone and stands tall with a height of 91.10cm and a width of 30-12x It is currently placed at the Gupta gallery in the National Museum, New Delhi.

The Gupta period witnessed a substantial growth in the number and size of Buddhist monasteries across its kingdom. While Gupta kings are generally linked with the promotion of Brahmanism, some of them even extended patronage to the beliefs of Buddhism. The text called Manjushri Mula Kalpa, which dates back to 800 CE points out that Narasimhagupta became a Buddhist monk and spent his life in meditation until he finally gave up his life through dhyana. Some Gupta rulers are also believed to have built Nalanda.

It is interesting to compare Buddha from Sarnath with those from Gandhara. This sculpture of Buddha has his hair arranged in small spiral cuts with a top-knot as opposed to long linear waves. His features are rounded as opposed to pointed and sharp, his eyes are larger and inward looking, they can be understood as being proto-typical of the “lotus shaped eyes” that would reach its epitome in Tibetan and Chinese art. He has elongated ears which is one of the Mahapurusha Lakshana. Sarnath being the principal centre of the eastern Gupta empire represents the epitome of the Gupta sculptural tradition.

The Buddha can be seen wearing a thin cloth over his body that sticks to his frame to the extent of making him seem bare-chested. It is an interesting example of how iconography changes across geographical expanses to seem more relatable to its immediate audiences.

Sarnath was not only a site known for its artistic ability, but it continues to be among the holiest sites within the Buddhist faith in the 21st century. It was at Sarnath that Buddha gave his first sermon, set the wheel of dharma in motion and it is also the place of birth for the Sangha (the religious followers of Buddha). Ashoka is believed to have erected the Dhameka stupa here in 249 BCE. In 12 BCE, the wife of the king Govinda Chandra erected the Dharma-Chakra-Jina Vihar monastery at Sarnath as well.