• India has submitted this year a dossier titled 'Ancient Buddhist Site, Sarnath' to the UNESCO World Heritage Centre for the 2025-26 nomination cycle.
• Union Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said this in a written response to a query in Lok Sabha on 04 August 2025.
• Sarnath in Uttar Pradesh contains a stupa (shrine) called the Dhamek Stupa, which marks the place where the Buddha first taught.
• Sarnath is also where Ashoka, a 3rd-century-bce Mauryan emperor, erected a memorial pillar topped with a capital consisting of four lions. This capital, known as the Lion Capital of Ashoka, is the basis for the state emblem of India.

Date: Current Affairs - 8/7/2025
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