Lumbini : the birthplace of Lord Buddha

As the birthplace of Lord Buddha, Lumbini in South Western Nepal  is counted among the holiest of places by Buddhists around the world. 

In Buddha’s time, Lumbini was a beautiful garden full of green and shady sal trees.  The garden and its tranquil environs were owned by the Shakya King Suddhodana, father of Siddhartha Gautama.  Shuddhodhana’s  wife Maya Devi  gave birth to a child, while on her way to her parent’s home in Devadaha.  Legend has it that , while resting in Lumbini  under a sal tree, on the full moon day of Vaishakh (May),  Maya Devi  felt labour pains, and after bathing in a nearby pond, delivered a child, who took seven steps soon after his birth.  The child was named Siddhartha, meaning ‘he who achieves his aim’.

In 249 BC, Emperor Ashoka is said to have visited Lumbini, along with his teacher Upagupta. Whilst he was there, a pillar and a stone wall were built to commemorate his visit.  An inscription on the pillar recorded Ashoka’s visit and noted his ruling, that Lumbini, being the birthplace of Lord Buddha, the village would be exempt from paying taxes and would only have to contribute one-eighth of its produce, instead of the standard one-sixth.

Lumbini was a site of pilgrimage until the 15^th century CE.  Its early history is well documented in the accounts of Chinese travellers – Fa Xian and Xuan Zang, who described the temples, stupas and other establishments they saw.

In the later period, Lumbini remained neglected for centuries, not to be rediscovered until they were identified by German archaeologist Dr Fiehrer, while wandering about the foothills of the Churia range.  Further exploration and excavation under the patronage of Palpa Governor Khadga Shamsher Rana revealed the existence of a brick temple and sandstone sculptures within the temple depicting the scenes of  Buddha’s birth.

Today’s Lumbini, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997, has ruins of ancient monasteries, a sacred Bodhi tree, an ancient bathing pond, the Ashokan Pillar and the Maya Devi Temple, which is the spiritual heart of the place.   

The temple complex is set in the middle of a sprawling 4 km by 2.5 km park known as the Lumbini Development Zone, designed by the Japanese architect Kenzo Tange.  It is a work-in-progress that comprises landscaped lakes and numerous temples and monasteries that have been constructed by Buddhist communities from around the world, in their respective nationalities styles.

Getting there and out :

Bhairahawa, in Nepal is the nearest airport which has direct flight to Kathmandu. There are buses to Lumbini from Pokhara and Kathmandu in Nepal. Buses from Gorakhpur and Varanasi run upto Sanuali border crossing. 

Video : 

The UNESCO documentary (click Older Post) below highlights the need for sustainable development of Lumbini, by advocating involvement of local population.  (20 minutes) 

MD.