Lumbini: the birthplace of the Buddha

Why go

Lumbini is calm and contemplative, a world away from the bustle of Kathmandu. Monks from many countries chant at dawn, pilgrims meditate under the bodhi tree and the long canal through the monastic zone is lined with birds. For Buddhists it is a lifetime journey; for everyone it is a moving and peaceful place to learn about the Buddha's life.

What to see

**The Maya Devi Temple** covers the exact spot, marked by a stone, where the Buddha is believed to have been born. Inside, excavated foundations go back many centuries. Shoes are removed and photography inside is not allowed.

**The Ashoka Pillar**, raised by the Indian emperor Ashoka in the third century BCE, carries an inscription recording his visit and confirming this as the Buddha's birthplace. Beside it is the **Puskarini**, the sacred pond where Maya Devi is said to have bathed.

**The Monastic Zone** is split by a long canal. The western side holds monasteries of the Mahayana and Vajrayana traditions, including those built by China, Germany, Korea, Vietnam and Nepal's own Tibetan Buddhist communities. The eastern side holds Theravada monasteries from Thailand, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Cambodia. The Royal Thai Monastery and the German Tara Temple are particularly beautiful.

**The World Peace Pagoda**, built by Japanese Buddhists, sits at the northern end, and the **Lumbini Crane Sanctuary** nearby protects sarus cranes, the tallest flying birds in the world.

Nearby

**Tilaurakot**, about an hour west, holds the ruins believed to be ancient Kapilvastu, the palace city where the young prince lived before renouncing his royal life. It is peaceful and rarely crowded. **Ramagrama** stupa and **Kudan** are further sites linked to the Buddha's story.

Where to stay

There are simple guesthouses in Lumbini Bazaar by the main gate, monastery guesthouses for pilgrims and a few comfortable hotels around the site. Siddharthanagar, also called Bhairahawa, has more options and the airport.

Getting around

The site is huge and flat. Hire a bicycle or a cycle rickshaw to move between monasteries; walking it all in a day in the heat is hard.

When to go

October to March is the best time, with warm days and cool, sometimes foggy mornings. From April to June temperatures are extremely hot, and the monsoon brings heavy rain. Buddha Jayanti, the Buddha's birthday in late April or May, draws large crowds of pilgrims.

Getting there

Gautam Buddha International Airport at Bhairahawa is about half an hour away, with flights from Kathmandu. Buses link Lumbini with Pokhara, Chitwan and Kathmandu, and the Sunauli border crossing to India is close.

Etiquette

Wear modest clothes, walk clockwise around stupas and shrines, keep your voice low near meditators and leave no litter. Early mornings, when monks chant and the air is cool, are the most peaceful time to visit the Sacred Garden. Allow time for the small but excellent Lumbini Museum, which displays coins, pottery and sculpture from the region. Evenings are quiet, so bring a book. Around sunrise, the chanting from the monasteries drifts across the canal, a memorable way to begin the day.