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Lumbini |
Lumbini is the birthplace of Gautam Buddha, the founder
of Buddhism, which was destined to be the prevalent
religion in Asia. This nativity site, identified by the
Ashokan Pillar, erected by Magadhan emperor Ashoka, to
commemorate the birth place of Buddha, the Lumbini
grove. The pillar was erected over 2200 years ago,
making lumbini the quintessential Buddhist heritage
site. Among the prime attractions are the sacred garden
with an area of 8 sq. km, the Mayadevi Temple with a bas
relief of Mayadevi, the Buddha's mother and a sacred
stone marked with a "foot imprint" of Ashoka. The
Ashokan Pillar, the oldest monument so far found in
Nepal lies to the west of the Mayadevi Temple. Today
only the lower shaft of the pillar stands, the upper
past having been split into two. There is no trace of
the horse capital. To the south of the pillar is
Puskarni, the sacred pond, wherein, Mayadevi is said to
have had taken a bath just before giving birth to the
Buddha - the Enlightened one.
For those interested in the treasury of cultural and
archaeological riches, Lumbini is the perfect place to
be there with a number of stupa, monasteries, meditation
centers and bahals(courtyard), no other place evokes the
time and aura of the Buddha like Lumbini, the Hallowed
birthplace of the Apostle of Peace.
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Some of the Monuments to be seen here are :- |
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Sagarhawa
Identified by Archaeologists as the "Palace of Massacre
of the Shakyas", the ruins of an ancient water tank were
excavated n the forest of Sagarhawa. It lies to the
north-west of Niglihawa.
Gotihawa
Located to the south-west of Tilaurkot, the place is
known for an Ashokan Pillar (Whose upper part, capital
is missing) and a huge stupa. According to the legends,
the place is also associated with Kanakmuni Buddha and
Krakuchhanda Buddha. They arrived before Gautam Buddha.
Aroarakot
This place once had a walled rectangular fortress. The
citadel was Buddha's natal town. Lying to the north-east
of Niglihawa, here you can find remains of ancient moat
and brick fortifications reminding you of its glorious
place.
Budhist Temple
The monastery of the Buddhist temple is built inside the
surrounding complex of Lumbini in the manner of modern
Buddhist shrines in Nepal. The prayer-hall contains a
big image of Lord Shakyamuni Buddha in the medieval
style. Colorful artistic murals decorate the large
walls.
The Ashoka Pillar
Discovered by the now famous German archaeologist Dr.
Fuhrer, the pillar is the first epigraphic evidence
relating to the life history of Lord Buddha and is also
the most visible land-mark of the auspicious garden. The
historic importance of the pillar is evidenced by the
inscription engraved on the pillar (in Brahmi
characters). It is said that the Hindu Indian Emperor
Ashok-the Great, who got converted, visited the site in
the twentieth year of his accession to the throne and as
a homage to the pure birth-place erected the pillar. The
inscription on the pillar roughly translates as : "King
Piyadesi the beloved of the Gods, having been anointed
20 years, came himself and worshipped saying--Here
Buddha Sakyamuni was born. He caused to make a stone
(capital) representing a horse and he caused (this)
stone pillar to be erected. Because here the worshipful
one was born the village of Lumbini has been made free
of taxes and recipient of wealth."
Image Of Maya Devi
In additional to the Ashokan Pillar, the other shrine of
importance is the bas-relief image of Maha Maya Debi-the
Queen of King Suddhodan. Enshrined in a small
pagoda-like structure, the image shows Maya-Debi, the
mother of Crown Prince Siddhartha Goutam. She is seen
supporting herself by holding on with her right hand to
a branch of a Sal tree, with the newly born infant
Buddha standing upright on a lotus pedestal on an oval
halo. Two other celestial figures are depicted in an act
of pouring holy water and lotuses bestowed from heaven.
Earlier the image was placed in the famous white temple
of Maya Debi besides the pillar-now totally dismantled
to make way for the excavations which revealed the
Sanctum Sanctorum, the exact spot where Our Lord was
born.
Kapilbastu
The temple and the holy quadrangle with a Buddhist stupa
at the center form the residential quarters of the
Chaste Virgin Living Goddess called KUMARI. The
traditional building has profusely carved wooden
balconies and window screens. The non-Buddhist and the
non-Hindu visitors may enter the courtyard called the 'bahal'
but may not proceed beyond upstairs. The KUMARI
acknowledges their greetings from the central window of
the balcony particularly saved for Her alone and
snapshot is strictly prohibited.
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Picture of Lumbini |
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Current Tourism News |
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Nepal trekking /
travel related business was booming until 1999. After that, the
incessant conflict scared off tourists from visiting
Nepal and we are feeling the pinch of the fall in
tourist arrivals. There was a time when we recorded such
a huge flow of tourists that we used to turn back some.
As a professional Nepal tour operator we did not have sufficient
staff and equipment to handle all of them...
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