LUMBINI, NEPAL

(The Sacred Garden of Buddha Nirvana)

Lord Buddha was born in Lumbini. Since his time, Nepal has been a sacred ground for Buddhist as the birth of the Buddha. Lumbini, the hallowed cradle of Buddhism, is the celebrated birth-place of Lord Buddha. Its history dates back to the time of his birth around 560 BC. Even in that serene era, Lumbini had attained great height of civilization and prosperity. There are also evidences of many royal visits to this sacred place. One such royal visitor was Emperor Ashoka Maurya of India in 249 BC. To commemorate his visit, he erected a grand stone monolith which stands till today, Nearby is the shrine of Maya Devi, Buddha's mother. It contains a stone relief depicting Buddha's nativity scene. To the south of it, there is a pool where Queen Mayadevi is said to have bathed and given her son his first purification bath. In the area are also modern Buddhist shrines and monasteries. Besides its religious and historical significance, Lumbini offers cultural insights into the village life of the southern Nepal. When the Buddha was born, Tilaurakot was the capital of his father king Suddhodnan's kingdom. It is 27 kilometers west of Lumbini. We can see the ancient ruins of Tilaurakot where the Buddha as Princes Siddhartha abandoned the riches of his father's kingdom in search for truth. Although the stupas, monasteries and the palaces that Chinese traveler wrote about over two millennia ago no longer exist, the Nepalese have preserved the location of the town as a heritage site. A few hours drive from Lumbini lies some of the holiest places of India. Varanasi, considered as the most scared place of the Hindus, is a city of beautiful aged-old temples. Even by 600 BC Varanasi was already a place of pilgrimage for Hindus. About 10 km north of Varanasi is Sarnath, a tranquil world apart. Here in the Deer Park, Buddhist preached his first sermon. At Bodhgaya, some distance away, Gautam Buddha attained enlightenment under the Bodhi Tree. It is One and a half hours away from Limbini to Tansen lies. Like Kathmandu, Tansen is a town with abounding temples