Overview

Lumbini, birthplace of Lord Buddha, is the centre of holy faith for the millions of Buddhists all over the world. Located in south-western Nepal, Lumbini holds several reminders of Lord Buddha. One of the most important historical sites in Nepal is endowed by nature with rich natural beauty. It is situated 230 km away from Kathmandu in Rubandehi District of Southern Terai (lowland), at an altitude of 600 ft. above sea level. Lumbini, respected by all Buddhists. In 1998, Lumbini was declared as the Fountain of world peace and the pilgrimage for all the peace loving people of the world.

Some important places in Lumbini are:

• The Lumbini Garden : This is the site marked by a certain stone pillar erected by the Indian Emperor Ashoka at about 245 B.C. The most important discovery in this place is a stone marked to suggest the exact birthplace of Buddha.
•  Mayadevi Temple : This temple, dedicated to the mother of lord Buddha- Maya Devi, was excavated a few years ago. Many sculptures and carving in which the figures and designs are only slightly projecting from their background are seen here.
• Pushkarni pond : This is the pond where Mayadevi is said to have had a bath before giving birth to Buddha. Ramagram : It is believed to be the maternal home of Buddha. This is where we can see the biggest stupa, with important relics. It is said that it was built around 600 B.C.
•  Lumbini has many new monasteries occupied by different nations. Some notable ones are:
• The Myanmar temple was built with the contribution from Burmese Buddhist. The monastery is an attractive big white structural monument with a golden pinnacle soaring into the sky.
• The China temple, which is a very beautiful pagoda styled temple with many prayer and meditation cells.
• The Korean Temple is a beautifully set temple having many remarkable images of Buddha.

Besides these, there are others like the Nepal Buddhia Temple and the Dharmaswami Buddhist monastery. Other countries like Japan , Sri Lanka , Thailand , Vietnam , etc. are also contributing to build more temples and monasteries from different country.