In Buddhism, where did Siddhartha Gautama deliver his first sermon after enlightenment?

Siddhartha Gautama delivered his first sermon at Deer Park in Sarnath, near the ancient city of Varanasi.

Buddhist tradition says the Buddha traveled from Bodh Gaya to Sarnath after attaining enlightenment. There he taught five ascetics who had previously practiced austerities with him. This sermon began the Buddha’s public teaching career and is traditionally associated with setting the Dharma wheel in motion.

Sarnath is an important pilgrimage site in modern Uttar Pradesh, India. The site’s best-known monument is the Dhamek Stupa, which marks the traditional location of the first teaching. The nearby archaeological museum preserves major Buddhist sculptures, including the Lion Capital of Ashoka.

Sarnath is sometimes confused with Bodh Gaya, where enlightenment occurred, or Kushinagar, where the Buddha is traditionally said to have died. These places form separate stages in the Buddha’s life story.