Lumbini – The Lovely Birth Place Of Buddha

The Lumbini is a very popular pilgrimage destination decimated to the Buddhist faith. It is located very near the India-Nepal border. The pilgrimage site is positioned in Kapilavastu town in the Rupandehi district of Nepal. Lumbini is a Sanskrit word that means “the lovely”.

 

Lumbini

There are around four major pilgrimage sites in the world that are related to the real-life events of Gautam Buddha’s life. Interestingly all these significant episodes have taken place beneath the trees. Lumbini has the honor of being one of the 4 most important Buddhist sacred sites.

 

The remaining three significant sites are located in India. The other three sacred sites are Bodh Gaya, this site is related to the enlightenment of Gautam Buddha. The second site is Sarnath, this site is related to the very first discourse of Gautam Buddha and the third site is Kushinagar, this site is related to the death episode of Gautam Buddha’s life.

History

Traditionally it is believed that Lumbini is the place where Gautam Buddha took birth. Gautam Buddha is very well known as the founder of Buddhism. It is considered that he was born during the seventh or sixth century BC.

 

As stated in the Buddhist traditions, Gautam Buddha was born to Maya Devi in the summer seasons’ May month in 642 BC. It is also said that she gave birth to Gautam Buddha when she was returning to her parent’s house located in Devadaha. It is believed that when she was going through the labor pains she grabbed the branches of the tree under which she had taken shelter in the hot sun. Ultimately she gave birth to her son and named him “Siddharta Gautama” who is now commonly known as Buddha. It is said that soon after his birth Buddha announced to the world, “This is my final rebirth”. In the Buddhist traditions, it is said that Gautam Buddha started walking instantaneously after his origin. It is believed that he had immediately taken 7 steps and a flower; a lotus bloomed under every step he took.

Emperor Ashoka was been converted to Buddhism. In the year 249 BC, he visited Lumbini. In the course of this visit, he had constructed a pillar made up of stone and 4 stupas. The Ashoka pillar has a dedication that reads King Piyadasi which stands for King Ashoka. It is said that the Buddha Sakyamuni was born at this tower. Later a railing of stone was constructed and then the tower was erected at the Bhagavan, which means the blessed one. Later the taxation in the city of Lumbini was reduced and was declared as only 8 parts.

 

The temples and the monasteries were constructed in the Lumbini up to the ninth century as later the region was taken over by the Muslims and later by the Hindus thus witnessing the decline of Buddhism in the region. Only a sculpture was left in the city. This sculpture was respected a lot by the women as it was believed that the sculpture symbolizes fertility. For around 1000 years, the garden that was dedicated to the birth of Buddha was almost lost.

The garden devoted to the Buddha’s origin was discovered again in the year 1895 by a German archeologist. He had visited the Ashoka Pillar and later found the garden after identifying the inscription of the tower. As to search for the actual identity of the site the records that were made by the pilgrim Fa Xian who belonged to China were also studied. Lumbini has later declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in the year 1997.

 

Lumbini

Birth Place of Buddha

Gautam Buddha

 

What to See

Lumbini is located at the base of the Himalayas in Nepal near the Indo-Nepal border. The place is a huge garden which many papal trees. The area that surrounds Lumbini is completely Hindu. Even though the area has a maximum population of the Hindus many Buddhist temples as well as shrines that are dedicated to various beliefs are spotted in the region of the sacred site itself.

 

The temple that is dedicated to Maya Devi is the most significant in Lumbini. The shrine that is devoted to the birthplace of Gautam Buddha is placed in this temple. The temple that you see told is constructed over the original temple and the four stupas which were earlier constructed by Emperor Ashoka.

The ancient ruin is well-protected in the modern temple. The newly constructed temple is a normal building painted in white color. The exact place where Gautam Buddha had born is been identified as the temple. The delicate and beautiful sculptures made out of sandstone are now shifted to the National Museum in Nepal. The National Museum is located in Kathmandu.

 

A small square-shaped tower is placed on the top of the temple. It has the eyes of Buddha placed on each of its sites. Also, it has a golden peak on the top. A holy pool is placed on the temple’s southern side. It is believed that after giving birth to Lord Buddha Maya Devi have taken bath in this pool. It is also said that the newly born Buddha was been washed here by the 2 dragons.

 

The temple of Maha Devi

The temple of Maha Devi is been bordered by a foundation that is constructed out of brick. The bricks are taken from the old monasteries and the temple. All across Lumbini you will witness colorful flags are hanged between the trees. It is believed that the flags carry mantras and prayers to heaven as soon as they touch the breeze.

 

Ashoka Pillar

Ashoka Pillar is another significant place to visit. It is located very close to the temple. A small hurdle protects the temple. The Pillar is decorated with the help of colorful flags. In the courtyard of the pillar, you will find many incense sticks placed in a bowl. A room is also constructed near the tower for the pilgrims to sit for meditation.

 

Getting There

Lumbini has a small airport for itself which handles domestic traffic. International tourists need to change their flight from Kathmandu. The place has a good network of airways as well as roadways with the rest of the country. You can use the buses that carry the passenger to and fro but the best option for traveling in Lumbini is to hire a cab. Maximum pilgrims that come to Lumbini are from Japan, Southeast Asia, Tibet, etc. Also, many Westerners visit the site regularly. Thus the place is crowded throughout the year and hence it is not that easy to visit Lumbini.

 

When to visit

The best time of the year to visit Lumbini is from October to March. The best time of the day is early morning or late afternoon.

 

Opening Timings

The temple is open from early sunrise till late sunset for the pilgrims to visit.