India has officially nominated Sarnath for inclusion under the 2025–26 UNESCO World Heritage nomination cycle.

Panda also visited the Urban Haat at Chowkaghat and then toured key Buddhist heritage sites in Sarnath, including the Chaukhandi Stupa, Dhamek Stupa, Archaeological Museum, and various viharas.

He then visited the Dhamekh Stupa and learned about the artworks depicted on it, as well as Ashoka’s pillar, on which he read the inscribed message.

The commemoration at Sarnath-where the Buddha's voice first echoed-will be a powerful reaffirmation of India's spiritual legacy and its enduring role in spreading the Dhamma across the globe.