Background: Dexmedetomidine __ampersandsignndash; an __ampersandsignalpha;2 agonist, Buprenorphine __ampersandsignndash; an opioid receptor agonist and antagonist can be safely used as adjuvants to spinal anaesthesia. There are no studies comparing dexmedetomidine and buprenorphine when used as adjuvants in subarachnoid block. Aim: The objectives of the study: To evaluate and compare the onset and duration of sensory and motor block, perioperative analgesia, side effect profile of dexmedetomidine and buprenorphine when used as adjuvant to bupivacaine in spinal anaesthesia for surgeries below the level of umbilicus. Materials and methods: Sixty patients of ASA I __ampersandsignamp; II scheduled for lower abdominal __ampersandsignamp; lower limb surgeries were randomly allocated in to two groups (group A __ampersandsignamp; group B) and received the following drugs ? Group A __ampersandsignndash; 15 mg of 0.5% Hyperbaric bupivacaine + 10 __ampersandsignmu;g of Dexmedetomidine ? Group B __ampersandsignndash; 15 mg of 0.5% Hyperbaric bupivacaine + 60 __ampersandsignmu;g of Buprenorphine. Sensory and motor blockade characteristics (onset time, time to reach maximum level and regression), time for rescue analgesia and side effects were recorded. Observed parameters were statistically analyzed by using independent sample __ampersandsignlsquo;t__ampersandsignrsquo; test (SPSS version 12). P__ampersandsignlt;0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Addition of dexmedetomidine as adjuvant to bupivacaine had significantly shortened the onset of sensory blockade (100.50__ampersandsignplusmn;31.74 and 122.13__ampersandsignplusmn;36.25, P__ampersandsignlt;0.05), prolonged the duration of motor and sensory block (P__ampersandsignlt;0.001, P__ampersandsignlt;0.001 respectively) and had postponed the time for first analgesic request (295.83__ampersandsignplusmn;93.21 and 238.27__ampersandsignplusmn;110.36, P__ampersandsignlt;0.05) without any side effects when compared to buprenorphine (P__ampersandsignlt;0.05, P__ampersandsignlt;0.001). Conclusion: 10__ampersandsignmu;g of dexmedetomidine seems to be a better alternative to 60 __ampersandsignmu;g of buprenorphine when added as adjuvant to bupivacaine in spinal block for lower abdominal and lower limb surgeries below the level of umbilicus.