LUMBINI
The Birthplace of the Buddha,
The World Heritage Site, Rupandehi, NEPAL
After I am no more, O Ananda!
Men of belief will visit the place with faith,
Curiosity and devotion
Lumbini, the place where I was born.
The path to ultimate peace is spiritual discipline
-The Buddha
INTRODUCTION
Situated in the foothills of the Siwalik range in the district of Rupandehi, Lumbini, the birthplace
of the Buddha is one of the most important pilgrimage sites. Buddhist literatures mention that
newly born Siddhartha took seven steps and uttered an epoch making message to the suffering
humanity in the LumbiniGarden. The beautiful sal grove of Lumbini Garden was renowned for
its beauty of shady grove of lush green trees and colorful flowers. Maya Devi, the queen of
Sakya king Suddhodana of Kapilavastu, on the way to her maternal hometown Devadaha
(ancient Koliya kingdom), was passing through the LumbiniGarden. It was the month of
Vaisakha poornima (Full Moon Day of the first month of Nepali calendar) of 623 BC, while the
queen was walking in the garden, took bath in the Puskarini. After bath, she proceeded to the
north 25 paces, there she felt labor pain and supported herself grasping a branch of a tree and
gave birth to the holy prince.
The Buddha highlighted the importance of Lumbini from his deathbed: Ananda, This (Lumbini)
place is where the Tathagata was born, this is a place, which should be visited and seen by a
person of devotion and which would cause awareness and apprehension of the nature of
impermanence. At this place, Ananda, who are on a pilgrimage to (this) shrine, if they should die
with devotion in their heart during the course of the pilgrimage, will after (their) death and
dissolution of the body be reborn in a good destination, a fortunate celestial realm
(Mahaparinirvana Sutta).
A SHORT HISTORY OF LUMBINI
Today devotees and visitors from all over the world come to Lumbini, the timeless place where
ancient monuments glorify the birthplace of Sakyamuni Buddha and bear witness to the record of
the noteworthy visits by famous dignitaries. The pilgrims deeply immerse themselves in the
serene spiritual atmosphere of Lumbini.
The famous Maurya Emperor Asoka guided by his spiritual teacher Upagupta made a pilgrimage
to this holy site in 249 BC. He erected a stone pillar bearing an inscription stating clearly Hida
Buddhe Jate Sakyamuniti (here Sakyamuni Buddha was born). He laid importance to the marker
stone and constructed few other structures to mark the exact birthplace of the Buddha. He
worshiped the nativity tree and the marker stone. He also visited other historical sites associated
with the Buddha in Kapilavastu, Ramagrama and Devadaha.
Famous Chinese pilgrims- Tseng Tsai (4th cent. AD), Fa-Hsien (5th cent. AD) and Hiuen Tsang
(7th cent. AD) visited Lumbini. Of them, Hiuen Tsangs travel account gives detailed description
of Lumbini. He had seen the stump of the nativity tree, a chaitya, the Asoka pillar, the holy pond
Puskarini, the Telar (Oily) river and the source of warm and cool water springs.
King Ripu Malla (1312 AD) of Karnali, west Nepal, visited Lumbini and left the mark of his
visit engraving Om mani padme hum Ripu Malla ciranjayatu on the top of the pillar.
The association of Lumbini with the Buddha went slowly to oblivion and the name Lumbini
gradually changed to Rummindei and then to Rupandehi (the present name of the district.
In 1896, the then General Khadga Shumsher, Governor of Palpa and Dr. Alois Fuhrer, an
imminent archaeological surveyor in British India, discovered the Asoka pillar in Lumbini. After
the rediscovery of the pillar and decipher of its inscription, the site drew attention of many
archaeologists and historians. PC Mukherji conducted an excavation in 1899. He identified the
nativity Sculpture as well as some structural remains in and around the birthplace. In 1930s,
General Keshar Shumsher carried out large-scale excavation at the holy complex of Lumbini and
covered up the archaeological site with a view to strengthen the MayaDeviTemple.
The then United Nations Secretary General, U. Thants pilgrimage of Lumbini in 1967 became a
milestone in the recent history of the development of Lumbini. Deeply influenced by the sanctity
of Lumbini, U. Thant discussed the matter with the then king Mahendra and suggested Nepal
Government to develop Lumbini as an international pilgrimage and a tourist center. In 1970, he
also helped formation of an International Committee for the Development of Lumbini consisting
of 15 member nations to support Lumbini through the United Nations involvement. The world
renowned architect Prof. Kenzo Tange of Japan was assigned the task of designing a master plan
for the systematic development of Lumbini.
The department of Archaeology, Nepal (DoA) undertook the responsibilities of conducting
excavation, research and conservation since 1972. After the formation of the Lumbini
Development Trust (LDT) in 1985, the development activities at Lumbini including the
excavation and conservation of the holy complex have been continued. In 1990s LDT, DoA and
Japan Buddhist Federation excavated the Maya Devi complex.
MONUMENTS OF LUMBINI:
LumbiniGarden changed into a pilgrimage site soon after the Mahaparinirvana of the Lord
Buddha. A monastic site evolved around the sacred spot of the Buddhas birth. The birth-spot
being the most important point in the whole of the holy land of Lumbini drew attention of
generous devotees who erected structures to pay homage to the great master. These constructions
were of religious nature along the religious complex and a civic settlement emerged to meet the
growing need of the religious community visiting or living in the holy complex.
THE MAYADEVI TEMPLE
The MayaDeviTemple shrine is the heart of all
monuments at this holy site. The complex also bears the testimony of several layers of
construction over the centuries. The main object of worship here is the Nativity Sculpture. The
restored MayaDeviTemple was reopened on May 16, 2003 on 2547th birth anniversary of the
Buddha. The government of Nepal, and LDT jointly restored the temple. The ground floor
consists of the remains of the foundations of the early MayaDeviTemple that dates back to 3rd
century BC. The sanctum sanctorum is the birth spot of the lord Buddha in the temple.
THE MARKER STONE
This stone conglomerate located deeply buried in the sanctum sanctorum
pinpoints the exact birth spot of the Buddha, which was discovered after a meticulous excavation
of the old MayaDeviTemple in 1996. The Marker Stone was found in the same distance and
direction as mentioned by Hiuen Tsang, the Chinese traveler in his travel account. The size of the
marker stone is 70cmx40cmx10cm.
THE NATIVITY SCULPTURE
The image of Maya Devi, also known as the Nativity Sculpture dates back to 4th CE, which
depicts the nativity scene, Maya Devi, holding a branch of a tree with her right hand for support
in the time of her delivery. Next to her Gautami Prajapati, her younger sister, in supporting
posture is standing. The newly born prince Siddhartha is standing upright on a lotus pedestal,
with two celestial figures receiving him.
THE PUSKARINI, THE HOLY POND
Close by the Asoka pillar on the southern side lies the holy pond, Puskarini where Maya Devi
bathed just before giving birth to prince Siddhartha and the infant prince is believed to have
given first purification bath. The pond has terraced steps and is riveted by beautifully layered
bricks.
THE ASOKAN PILLAR
The historical pillar was erected by Emperor Asoka in 249 BC bears the first epigraphic evidence
with reference to the birthplace of Lord Buddha. It is the most noteworthy monument and an
authentic historic document of birthplace of Lord Buddha in Lumbini. The inscription engraved
by Emperor Asoka is still intact and testifies the authenticity of the birthplace. The text written in
Brahmi script and Pali language is translated as follows:
King Piyadasi (Asoka), the beloved of the Gods, in the twentieth year of reign, himself made a
royal visit. Sakyamuni Buddha was born here, therefore, the (birth Spot) marker stone was
worshipped and a stone pillar was erected. The lord having been born here, the tax of the
Lumbini village was reduced to the eighth part (only).
MASTER PLAN OF LUMBINI
In 1978, the Master Plan designed by Prof. Tange was finalized and approved by the Government
of Nepal and United Nations. In the meantime, Government of Nepal was directly involved in
the planning and development of Lumbini through formation of Lumbini Development
Committee. The committee acquired necessary land, relocated the villages and commenced the
development of basic infrastructures including forestation program in the planned area. The
master plan thus changed the face of Lumbini. In 1985, the Lumbini Development Trust Act
came into existence and Lumbini Development Trust (LDT) was formed accordingly. Now the
Trust is responsible for the implementation of the master plan and for the overall development of
Lumbini, and other Buddhist sites of Kapilavastu, Devadaha and Ramagrama.
CONCEPT OF THE MASTER PLAN
The master plan covers an area of 13 sq. miles, comprising three zones of a square mile each.
The three zones are linked with walkways and a canal, these are
a)
Sacred Garden
b)
Monastic zone
c)
New Lumbini village
The focus
of Tanges design is the sacred Garden located in the southern part. The ultimate objective of the
design here is to create an atmosphere of spirituality, peace, universal brotherhood and
nonviolence consistent with the time and Buddhas message to the world. The SacredGarden
shelters the ancient monuments at the center in a freshly restored atmosphere of serene and lush
forest and water body surrounding the complex.
The Monastic Zone is situated in the middle with a forest area between the SacredGarden and the
NewLumbiniVillage. The zone is divided into two Monastic enclaves by a CentreCanal. There
are 13 plots of land in the East Monastic Zone and 29 in the West Monastic Enclave, having 42
plots in total each allotted for the construction of new monasteries of Theravada and Mahayana
schools of Buddhism.
The cultural center lies between the Monastic Zone and the NewLumbiniVillage. A research
centre, a library, an auditorium and a museum provide information to the visitors and research
and study facilities to the students and researchers.
The northern part of the master plan area is being developed as the NewLumbiniVillage. It is
also a gateway to the outer world, where the visitors can find comfortable hotels and restaurants
offering necessary facilities. The World Peace Pagoda of Japan and the Crane Sanctuary are
located here.
OTHER ATTRATIONS
Nepalese and international Monasteries/ Vihars representing vernacular architecture and culture
of different Buddhist countries and Buddhist traditions fascinate the visitors to Lumbini. The
Royal Thai Monastery (Thailand) , Monastery of Mahabodhi Society of Kolkatta, Myanmar
Monastery (Myanmar), International Nuns Temple (Nepal), Dhamma Janani Meditation Center
(Nepal), Sri Lankan Monastery(Sri Lanka), Cambodian Monastery (Cambodia) are worth
visiting monasteries in the east monastic zone.
The Great Lotus Stupa (Tara Foundation, Germany), Drigung Kagyud Meditation Centre (India),
Sokyo Temple (Japan), Linhson Monastery (France), Chinese Monastery (China), Korean
Mahabodhi Society Monastery (South Korea), Vietnam Phat Quoc Tu (Vietnam), Geden
International (Austria), Manang Monastery (Nepal), Dharmodaya Sabha Monastery (Nepal),
Panditarama Meditation Center (Myanmar) in the West Monastic Zone attract a large number of
pilgrims and visitors in Lumbini. Lumbini Museum, Lumbini International Research Institute,
World Peace Pagoda (Japan), Eternal Peace Flame, Peace Bell, and Crane Sanctuary add to the
beauty and serenity of Lumbini.
NATURAL BIODIVERSITY:
Lumbini, being the birthplace of the Buddha is a timeless place to spread peace, harmony and
solace in the world. It does not promote only contemplative value and spirituality but also
attracts many naturalists, botanists and zoologists with its richness. One can find wide verities
of shrubs, herbs, flowers and plants here. There are more than 250 bird species including the
world tallest flying bird Sarus Crane and threatened animals like python, Blue Bull (boselaphus
tragocamelus), Bengal fox, wild cat etc in Lumbini.
LUMBINI VILLAGE TOUR:
A walk through the villages surrounding Lumbini Master Plan, interacting with local people,
buying their authentic handicraft, sculpture products and observing their traditional rituals will
bring one closer to understanding the diversity of Terai cultures in Nepal. The visitors have the
option of choosing village tour to Ekala, Khudabagar, Madhubani, Tenuhawa, Ama and
Bhagawanpur on foot, rickshaw, bicycle, bullock cart or in a taxi.
