Lumbini

The birthplace of the Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama, with the Maya Devi Temple, the Ashoka Pillar and a monastic zone of temples built by many nations (including the Chinese Temple) – a once-in-a-lifetime pilgrimage for Buddhists.

Lumbini lies in Rupandehi District, Lumbini Province, on the Terai plains of southern Nepal, about 25 km from the Sunauli border crossing with India. It is the birthplace of Siddhartha Gautama, the founder of Buddhism, around the 6th century BCE. Inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997, it is one of Buddhism's four great holy sites, alongside Bodh Gaya, Sarnath and Kushinagar. The sacred area follows a 1978 master plan by Japanese architect Kenzo Tange and measures roughly 4.8 km north to south and 1.6 km east to west. At the southern end is the core Sacred Garden (Maya Devi Temple, Ashoka Pillar and the sacred pond). Through the middle runs a central canal about 1.5 km long that divides the monastic zone in two: the East Monastic Zone holds Theravada temples such as those of Thailand, Myanmar and Sri Lanka, while the West Monastic Zone holds Mahayana and Tibetan Buddhist temples such as the Chinese, German, Korean and Vietnamese temples. At the northern end are the World Peace Pagoda and the Lumbini Museum. The site is huge and closed to motor vehicles, so the easiest way around is to rent a bicycle at the gate or take an electric shuttle or cycle rickshaw; in a full day you can link up the main temples. Nearby are other sites associated with the Buddha's family – Kapilavastu (Tilaurakot), the Ramagrama Stupa of the ancient Koliya kingdom, Niglihawa and Kudan – which make a good extra day by hired car. Getting there: the nearest airport is Gautam Buddha International Airport in Bhairahawa (about 20 km from the site), a roughly 40-minute flight from Kathmandu; buses from Kathmandu or Pokhara take 8–10 hours. Plan on 1–2 days, staying in Lumbini Bazaar outside the south gate or in a monastery pilgrim guesthouse. The best season is October to March; December–January brings thick fog in the mornings and evenings and chilly weather. April–May, around Buddha Jayanti (the Buddha's birthday), is crowded with temperatures reaching 40°C, and the June–September monsoon is hot, humid and full of mosquitoes. Note: remove your shoes and dress modestly to enter the Maya Devi Temple, where photography is forbidden; some parts of the Sacred Garden are off-limits to protect the ruins; carry small-denomination rupee notes.

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