28 years on tentative list, Sarnath now a UNESCO World Heritage Site

3 min readLucknow, New DelhiJul 26, 2026 05:11 AM IST Sarnath has become India’s 45th and Uttar Pradesh’s fourth site to be added to the UNESCO World Heritage List. (AP) Sarnath, the ancient site where Lord Buddha delivered his first sermon after attaining enlightenment, has been inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List, becoming India’s 45th and Uttar Pradesh’s fourth World Heritage Site. The announcement came Saturday during the 48th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee held in Busan, South Korea.Sarnath, one of the holiest sites of Buddhism, has recorded its significance on the global platform for heritage recognition. The state government stated this would strengthen Uttar Pradesh’s Buddhist Circuit on the international tourism and cultural heritage map. According to the UP