Lumbini Ashoka Pillar
अशोक स्तम्भ
A sandstone pillar erected in 249 BCE when Emperor Ashoka made his pilgrimage. Its Brahmi inscription confirms that this is the Buddha's birthplace.
The Ashoka Pillar stands west of Maya Devi Temple. It was erected by Emperor Ashoka of the Mauryan Empire after he made a pilgrimage to Lumbini in the 20th year of his reign, around 249 BCE. The pink sandstone column bears an inscription in Brahmi script, which roughly reads: “Twenty years after his coronation, King Piyadasi, beloved of the gods, came here in person to pay homage, because Shakyamuni Buddha was born here… The village of Lumbini is exempt from taxes and pays only one-eighth.” It is among the earliest definitive archaeological evidence in South Asia. German archaeologist Führer and Nepali general Khadga Shumsher excavated and confirmed the site in 1896, bringing the long-lost Lumbini back to the world's attention after a thousand years. The original capital is lost. The shaft is now protected by a railing, and the inscription sits on the lower part of the column, visible through the railing. Xuanzang's Great Tang Records on the Western Regions also mentions this pillar, which had already been split by lightning by his time. Admission is included in the Sacred Garden ticket. Visit it together with Maya Devi Temple; allow about 20 to 30 minutes.
Opening hours
Same hours as Shengyuan
Nearby sights
- Maya Devi Temple
- Puskarini Sacred Pond
- Eternal Peace Flame
- Myanmar Golden Temple & Lokamani Pula Pagoda
- Sri Lankan Monastery
- Dae Sung Shakya Temple (Korean Temple)
- Zhong Hua Chinese Buddhist Monastery
- Royal Thai Monastery