Lumbini, the place where the Buddha
was born in 623 BC, is situated in
the Terai plains of southern Nepal.
The nativity site is marked by a
stone pillar erected by Indian
Emperor Ashoka in 249 BC.
Places To Visit Lumbini
Listed as a world heritage site by
UNESCO, Lumbini is being developed
with international support as the
supreme Buddhist pilgrimage and a
symbol of world peace. The sacred
garden where the Buddha was born
converges on the Ashoka Pillar which
carries an inscription identifying
the spot as the birthplace. To one
side of the pillar is the newly
renovated Mayadi Temple which houses
a bas relief deplicting the
nativity. The puskarni pond, where
Queen Mayadevi – the buddha’s mother
– had taken a bath before giving
birth to him, lies nearby.
Temples and Monasteries :
The Myanmar Temple (Lokamani Cula
Pagoda) is a gleaming gold and white
structure gracefully soaring into
the sky in the style of the She-dagon
Pagoda in Yangon. There is a
monastery complex behind the temple.
Nearby, the international Gautam
Nuns Temple is a fine replica of the
Swayambhu stupa in Kathmandu. There
is a pond here known as Paleswan
Pukhu. The China Temple is a complex
of pagodas, prayer rooms and
meditation cells. Built by the
Buddhist association of China, the
centerpiece at the Zhong Hua
Buddhist Monastery is a huge statue
of the Buddha houses in its main
pagoda.
Museums :
The Lumbini Museums contains Mauryan
and Kushana coins, religious
manuscripts, terra-cotta fragments,
and stone and metal sculptures. It
also possesses an extensive
collection of stamps from various
countries depicting Lumbini and the
Buddha. Lumbini International
Research Institute (LIRI), located
opposite the Lumbini Museum,
provides research facilities for the
study of Buddhism and religion in
general. Run jointly by the Lumbini
Development Trust and the Reiyukai
of Japan, LIRI contains some 12,000
books on religion, philosophy, art
and architecture.
Kapilavastu Museum is situated 27 km
west of Lumbini in Tilaurakot. The
museum holds coins, pottery and toys
dating between the seventh century
BC and fourth century AD. The museum
also has a good collection of
jewelry and other ornaments from
that period. Open daily, except
Tuesday and holidays.
Niglihawa :
Niglihawa situated about 32
kilometers northwest of Lumbini, is
a significant archaeological site. A
large tank known as Niglisagar is in
the region. Close to the tank lie
the remain of broken Ashoka Pillar.
The piece of pillar have been
protected by the Lumbini Development
Trust protected this part and placed
it enar the lower part.
Tilaurakot :
Tilaurakot, 27 km to the west of
Lumbini, contains the ruins of
ancient Kapilavastu, capital of the
sakya kingdom where the Buddha spent
his youth as Prince Siddhartha. At
Niglihawa (8 km from Tilaurakot) and
Gotihawa (5 km), there are broken
Ashoka pillars and other relics.
Devdaha, capital of the Koliya
kingdom and meternal home of
Mayadevi, lies 35 km to the
northeast of Lumbini – just off the
Butwal- Narayanghat section of the
East-west-highway. |
