Lord Buddha

Lord Buddha was born as Prince Siddhartha Gautam of the Shakya Kingdom in the gardens of Lumbini in 623 BC. His journey in this world began in the garden of Lumbini, when his mother Queen Mayadevi travelled from Tilaurakot, the capital of the Shakya Kingdom, to her family home in Devdaha to give birth to Prince Siddhartha. It was here in Lumbini that the new born infant moved towards the East heralding a path to enlightenment which would change humankind. Later in his life, Lord Buddha advised his followers to visit four sacred places relevant to his life, one of which is Lumbini, his birthplace.

The veracity of Lumbini as the birthplace of Lord Buddha is well supported by historical references that date back to 249 BC. Emperor Ashoka erected sandstone pillars with inscriptions in Lumbini, Gotihawa and Niglihawa, to commemorate his visits. The inscriptions in Pali and Brahmi Script on the Ashoka Pillar in Lumbini mark this location as the birthplace of Lord Buddha. The existing marker stone inside Mayadevi Temple premises also clearly testifies to Lord Buddha's actual birth spot. Other prominent pilgrims and travellers, through the centuries, like Seng - tsai, Fa-hsien (5th century AD) and Hsuan –tsang (7th century AD) also give sufficient references in their travel accounts to the birth place. In the early 14th century, King Ripu Malla also left behind evidences of his pilgrimage in Lumbini and in Niglihawa through an additional inscription on the Ashoka Pillars. In the year 1896 AD, archaeologist Dr. Alois Anton Fuhrer and the then Governor of Palpa in western Nepal, General Khadga Shamsher, rediscovered this Ashoka Pillar in Lumbini.

Lumbini was inscribed on UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites in 1997 as the place where Gautam Buddha was born in 623 BC. The visit of the then Secretary General of United Nations U Thant in the year 1967 to Lumbini initiated the overall development of Lumbini as per the Master Plan prepared by a Japanese architect Prof. Kenzo Tange.

The purpose of this brochure is to address the Key Components of Lumbini's Master Plan which requires substancial assistance and financial support from both national and international stakeholders for the promotion of Buddhism all over the world. The brochure further aims to establish Lumbini a major holy site for pilgrimage and tourism for all Buddhists from around the world.

The development of Lumbini is an enormous undertaking involving expertise and support from a wide range of people. The centre invites you to join us in our journey to preserve and develop the Sacred Sites in and around Greater Lumbini for current and future generations.