Lumbini lies in the Terai district of Rupandehi in
mid-southwestern region of Nepal and has earned world fame as the birthplace of
Siddhartha Gautam Buddha, the Enlightened One. Lumbini is a UNESCO World
Heritage Site. Maurya Emperor Ashoka of India visited Lumbini in 245 B.C. and
erected a pillar signifying the sacred spot where the Lord first put his foot
after birth.
Two famous Chinese pilgrims, Fa Hien and Hueng
Tsang, visited the site in the 5th and 7th centuries respectively and wrote
about this sacred place in their travelogues. The main temple is named after
Buddha’s mother, Maya Devi. A large number of Buddhist pilgrims from all over
the world visit Lumbini to pray at the Maya Devi Temple where excavations have
revealed the ‘marker stone’ showing the exact spot where Siddhartha Gautam
Buddha was born.
Construction and development works have been going
on in Lumbini since the last couple of decades to give shape to Japanese
architect Prof. Tange’s master plan for the development of Lumbini, and
countries with large or sizable Buddhist populations have lent a hand in
constructing monasteries and infrastructure in support of the master plan.
These include temples, monasteries, rest houses and stupas by countries such as
China, India, Japan, Mongolia, Myanmar, South Korea, Sri Lanka and Thailand.
Access: Lumbini lies 22 km from Bhairahawa, a major
industrial city bordering India. There are regular buses from Bhairahawa to
Lumbini. Taxis are available at Bhairahawa. Bhairahawa is well connected by air
with the capital.
