lumbini

Lumbini

Experience inner place

Lumbini is the birthplace of prince Siddhartha Gautam who became the Buddha, the founder of Buddhism. He lived roughly between 623 and 543 BC. According to Buddhist traditions, Maya Devi gave birth to the prince here, by the lake, on her way to her parental home in Devadaha  in may 623 BC.

In 249 BC, the mauryan Emperor Ashoka visited Lumbini (called Rumindei in those days)and constructed four stupas and a stone pillar, known today as Ashoka’s Pillar that bears an inscription that translets as “king Piyadasi (Ashoka), beloved of devas, in the 20 year of the coronation, himself made a royal visit, Buddha Sakyamuni having been born here, a stone railing was built and a stone pillar erected to the bhagavan ‘bleesed one’ having been born here.Lumbini village was taxed was reduced and entitled to the eight parts(only).”

Today, Lumbini stands as one of the four major Buddhist Pilgrimage sites in the world where devotees and tourists visit to experience the peace as preached by Lord Buddha Himself. The other three are Kushinagar (Kushinara of old ), Bodh Gaya and Saranath. In 1997, Lumbini was officially declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Unlike in Haridwar , Mecca or the Lourdes, pilgrims to Lumbini come in a  slow, respectful trickle and many stay in the meditate in the monasteries surrounding the sacred site. That said, Lumbini has undergone a major renaissance over the last few years, and new monasteries are springing up here.

TRAVEL HIGHLIGHTS

At the heart of Lumbini is the Maya Devi temple, restored to its venew form and which marks the exact spot where Queen Maya Devi of Kapalvastu gave birth to Prince Siddhartha, Surrounding is a sacred garden containing the Ashokan Pillar as well as the ruined foundations of dozens of ancient stupas and monasteries.

Extending for miles around the sacred garden is a huge park known as the Lumbini Development Zone, designed by the Japanese architect Kenzo Tange in 1978, It is a work in progress but the grounds are already full of landscaped lakes and Buddhist monasteries, constructed by Buddhist communities from around the world.

Then there is Tilaurakot, 22 km away from Lumbini which, as discovered by archeologist, was the capital of Kapalvastu, the kingdom of Suddhodhan, Siddhartha  Gautam’s father. It is said that Siddhartha Gautam spent 29 years of his princely life at Tilaurakot.

Apart from that, there are many monasteries, stupas and also a museum dedicated to Buddha and his life.

GETTING THERE

Lumbini is  22 km from the border town of Bhairahawa, which is connected by air to Kathmandu; and daily flights are available, As Lumbini has no airport, one has to flight Bhairahawa first then drive to Lumbini from there. One can also travel 300 km from Kathmandu to Lumbini which takes around six hours of driving, There are buses operating on daily basis between Lumbini to Kathmandu.