The birth place of Lord Buddha Lumbini is situated at the foothills of the Himalayas in modern Nepal. The holy site is being developed with international support as the supreme Buddhist pilgrimage and a symbol of world peace. The shrines and monastries that many countries have built or are still building reflect the architectural traditions of those countries, and thus giving Lumbini an international feel with a message of universal love and brotherhood.

The garden of Lumbini mentioned as Lumbini Canana, Lumbini Vatica, Lumbini Upavana, and Lumbini Cittalavana in early scriptures is situated on the bank of river Telar at the eastem edge of the Sakya Kingdom of Kapilvastu. Maya Devi, the queen of Sakya King Suddhodhana of Kapilvastu, while going to her maternal home Devadaha, happened to pass through Lumbini. On a Full Moon day in the month of Vaisakha 623 years before Christ, she bathed in the Sakya Puskarini and proceeded towards north. Soon after she felt the sudden pain of labor causing her to hold a branch of the Sala tree under which she was standing. Such was the situation of the divine event where Queen Maya Devi gave birth to Lord Buddha.

The village of Tilaurakot, about 30 Km east of Lumbini is believed to have been the location of the Kapilvastu - the place where the Buddha grew up as the Shakya dynasty prince, until he renounced it at the age of 29 in search of enlightenment.

In 249 B.C., when the Emperor Ashoka visited Lumbini it was a flourishing village. King Ashoka constructed four stupas and a stone pillar with a figure of a horse on top. The stone pillar bears an inscription which, in English translation, runs as follows. "King Piyadasi (another name for Ashoka), beloved of the gods, came here himself and worshipped saying 'Here Buddha Sakyamuni was born'.

PLACES TO SEE
1. SACRED GARDEN : Which is spread over 8 sq.km possesses all the treasures of the historic area. It has been listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage site. This is the place where Lord Buddha was born. The site is marked by Ashoka Stone Pillar which has an engraved inscription identifying the spot as the birth place of LORD BUDDHA. On one side of the pillar is the MAYADEVI TEMPLE the temple of the mother of Lord Buddha. Recent excavations have turned up a stone bearing Foot Prints of Lord Buddha.

2. THE PUSKARNI POND : Located south of the Ashokan Pillar is the pond where Queen Mayadevi the mother of Lord Buddha is believed to have taken a bath before giving birth to LORD BUDDHA. Many countries have built TEMPLES, MONASTERIES OR STUPA in Sacred Garden in the international Monastery Zone and there has been global initiative to promote the place Lumbini.

3. CHINA TEMPLE : is a complex of Pagodas, & prayer rooms built by Buddhist Association of CHINA.

4. KOREAN TEMPLE : Contains beautiful images of Lord Buddha.

5. ASHOKA PILLAR : The pillar carrying an inscription identifying the holy site as the birthplace, is situated nearby the Sacred Garden. To one side of Ashoka pillar is the Mayadevi Temple. Recent excavations have turned up a stone bearing a "foot imprint", indicating the exact place of birth.

6. The Lumbini Museum : located in the Cultural Zone, 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.

7. Lumbini International Research Institute (LIRI) : located opposite to the Lumbini Museum, LIRI provides research facilities for the study of Buddhism and religion in general. Run jointly by the Lumbini Development Trust (LDT) and the Reiyukai of Japan, LIRI contains numerous books on religion, philosophy, art and architecture.

8. KAPILVASTU MUSEUM : Kapilvastu Museum is situated 27 km west of Lumbini in the village of Tilaurakot. The museum holds coins, pottery and toys dating between the seventh century BC and fourth century AD. The museum also has good collection of jwellery and other ornaments of that period.

GETTING THERE
You can also take a 45-minute flight from Kathmandu to Gautam Buddha Airport at Bhairawa.

Accommodation
The Lumbini Hokke Hotel is a spotlessly clean excellent Japanese style hotel for a rather steep price.The Sri-Lankan Pilgrims' Rest House is a more modest living place but it is a little distance away from the main center of Lumbini.

DINING
There is very little choice. There is only one restaurant, the Lumbini Garden Restaurant, which is about ten minutes walk from the center. The Lumbini Hokke Hotel (fairly expensive) and The Sri Lankan Pilgrim Rest House (very basic menu) are the only other choices.