Lumbini

Lumbini is the birthplace of Siddhartha Gautama, the historical Buddha, born here in 623 BCE. The Maya Devi Temple marks the exact spot of his birth and contains the foundation stone (marked by Emperor Ashoka’s pillar in 249 BCE) of the Nativity. The site is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and has been developed into a major pilgrimage and archaeological park. The Sacred Garden at its centre contains the Bodhi tree grown from a cutting of the original, the sacred pool where the infant Buddha was bathed, and the Ashoka pillar — the oldest surviving inscription confirming the birthplace. The surrounding Lumbini Development Zone contains monasteries built by Buddhist nations from across the world, including a magnificent Tibetan monastery with impressive murals.