Lumbini is the Buddha’s birthplace, located at Rupandehi, in the southern Terai of Nepal. This is one of the world’s most important spiritual sites and attracts Buddhist pilgrims from around the world.
Mayadevi Temple is the most sacred site in the Lumbini Garden. The archaeologists have identified the exact spot where Lord Buddha was born is this temple. Inscriptions on the Ashoka Pillar nearby also mentions the spot as his birthplace.
The birth took place in the beautiful Sal grove, which is now the focal point of the Lumbini Garden. Mayadevi, the Queen of Shakya King Suddhodhana of Kapilvastu, while passing through theLumbini Garden, on the day ofBaishakha Purnima (full moon day of May in 623 BC). The sacred place was visited by Emperor Ashoka, in 249 BC, and he erected a stone pillar mentioning the Buddha was born there.
Later in the 4th century CE, Fa-Hien (also known as Fa-xian) the Chinese Buddhist monk visited Lumbini. He also visited Kapilavastu and Ramagrama, other important Buddhist sites. Fa-Hien’s travel account is a valuable source for locating these historical sites. In early seventh century, Yuan Chwang, also known as Hiuen Tsang, another great Chinese monk traveled to Kapilavastu, his last stop before Lumbini. He describes Kapilavastu about 800 miles in circuit, and as containing more than ten deserted localities all in utter ruin. The capital locality was in such a complete waste that its true area could not be ascertained. But the solid brick foundations of the palace within the capital locality still remained.
However, long many years Mayadevi was worshipped as an incarnation of a Hindu mother goddess.
In 1967, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, U Thant visited. The Burmese Buddhist was overwhelmed to be at the place where Buddha was born. In due course of time, he put efforts to develop Lumbini as a pilgrimage for the whole Buddhists and peace lovers of the world.
The renowned Japanese architect Prof. Kenzo Tango was assigned to draw a master plan for Lumbini to develop. He completed the design in 1978. The Lumbini Development Master Planaims to develop Lumbini as a sacred site for Buddhist pilgrims and a center of peace and spirituality. The plan focuses on three main zones: the Sacred Garden, the Monastic Zone, and the New Lumbini Village, all linked by walkways and a canal. The Sacred Garden, featuring the World Heritage site and ancient monuments, is the central focus, while the Monastic Zone accommodates various monasteries and meditation centers. The New Lumbini Village provides facilities for pilgrims and visitors.
Around twenty-five Buddhist monasteries are built by diverse countries from Vietnam to France there in Lumbini as part of development of Lumbini was planned.
Visit the remarkably beautiful monasteries built by countries such as China, Japan, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Germany, France and many more; admire the spectacular and diverse architecture they showcase.
Visit the Panditarama Vipassana Center for some yoga and meditation and interact with the monks who live in the vicinity of the monasteries, devoting their time to bringing peace and harmony to all sentient beings through devotion and religious worship.
Lumbinihas set a new benchmark in global tourism by welcoming 1,172,304 visitors in 2024. This remarkable figure represents a 17.36% increase from the 998,938 tourists recorded in 2023, solidifying Lumbini’s status as an international pilgrimage and cultural hub.
According to the Lumbini Development Trust, domestic tourists accounted for the majority of visitors, with 759,990 Nepali nationals visiting the sacred site. This represents a 15.81% growth compared to the previous year’s 656,218. Meanwhile, tourists from India also surged significantly, reaching 300,889, an increase of 12.90% from 266,510 in 2023.
The most significant growth was observed among international tourists holding passports from countries other than India, with their numbers climbing to 111,425, marking an impressive 46.36% increase from 76,210 in 2023.
Among international visitors, Sri Lanka topped the list, contributing 23,569 tourists. Thailand followed closely with 21,496, while China, Myanmar, and Vietnam recorded 13,012, 10,517, and 8,500 tourists respectively. (By Ram Dangol)
