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.