Lumbini is the birthplace of Siddhartha Gautam, the Shakya prince, the eventual Shakyamuni and the ultimate Buddha- the Enlightened One. At the time his birth of the prince the city was a part of the kingdom of Kapilvastu.
The main attraction of the city is the Sacred Garden, spread over 08 Sq. Kms and possesses all the treasures of the historic area. In the gardens that surrounds the ruins, there is a bo tree where Siddhartha Gautama gained enlightenment and became Buddha.
To the west of the Mayadevi Temple, stands the Ashoka Pillar which was erected by Emperor Ashoka in 249 BC to commemorate his pilgrimage to the sacred site. The inscription on it in Brahmi script proves Lumbini as the place where the Buddha was born in 623 B.C. To the south of the Pillar one finds the sacred pond- Puskarni – the place where Queen Mayadevi took a bath just before giving birth to the Buddha. |
