Lumbini

  Lumbini is a Buddhist pilgrimage site in the Rupandehi District of Nepal.It is the place where, according to Buddhist tradition,Queen Mayadevi gave birth to Siddhartha Gautama in 623 BCE. Gautama, who achieved nirvana some time around 543 BCE, became the Gautama Buddha and founded Buddhism after achieving Enlightenment. Lumbini is one of many magnets for pilgrimage that sprang up in places pivotal to the life of Gautama Buddha; other notable pilgrimage sites include Kushinagar, Bodh Gaya and Sarnath.

Lumbini has a number of temples, including the Mayadevi Temple and several others which are still under construction. Many monuments, monasteries and a museum - the Lumbini International Research Institute - are also located within the holy site. Also located there is the Puskarini or HolyPond where the Buddha's mother took the ritual dip prior to his birth and where he, too, had his first bath.

At other sites near Lumbini, earlier Buddhas were, according to tradition, born, achieved ultimate Enlightenment and finally relinquished their earthly forms.

Lumbini was granted World Heritage status by UNESCO in 1997.

The present-day Lumbini historic site is 4.8 km (3 mi) in length and 1.6 km(1.0 mi) in width. The holysite of Lumbini is bordered by a large monasticzone in which only monasteries can be built, no shops, hotels or restaurants.It is separated into an eastern and western monastic zone, the eastern havinthe Theravadin monasteries, the western having Mahayana and Vajrayana monasteries.The holy site of Lumbini has ruins of ancient monasteries, a sacred Bodhi tree, an ancient bathing pond, the Ashoka pillar and the Mayadevi Temple, wherethe supposed place of birth of Buddha is located. From early morning to early evening, pilgrims from various countries perform chanting and meditation at the site.

Lumbini is a 9-hour drive from Kathmandu and a 30-minute drive from Bhairahawa. The closest airport is Gautam Buddha Airport at Bhairahawa,with flights to and from Kathmandu.