Destination: Lumbini

Birthplace of The Buddha

Lumbini is the place where Queen Mahamaya Devi gave birth to Siddhartha Gautama at around 563 BCE. However, today, it is a small village on the Indo-Nepal border near Sonauli in Nepal. After a period of 300 years after the Mahaparinirvana of Buddha, Ashoka visited Lumbini and erected a pillar there. Although the pillar is damaged, its remains are still there.

The main area is the “Sacred Garden.” As a matter of fact, most people, who come here, visit for the day from Bhairawa. Moreover, the best time to visit Lumbini is the early morning or late afternoon.

Places to see in Lumbini

The Rummendei Pillar:

Ashoka is the most well-known king of the Maurya dynasty. He converted to Buddhism and spent the rest of his life propagating his dharma (law). Ashoka once visited Lumbini, the town where Prince Siddhartha, called Buddha, was born. Furthermore, he erected a stele commemorating the event called the Rummendei Pillar. It is 22 feet tall and an inscription in five lines states that it stands in the area where Siddhartha Gautama was born.

Maya Devi Temple:

Lumbini Nepal

The most important temple at Lumbini is the Maya Devi Temple. Evidently, Maya Devi Temple marks the spot where Queen Maya Devi gave birth to Siddhartha Gautama in around 563 BC. Moreover, in the sacred garden, you’ll find the ancient ruins of stupas, and pillars of Ashoka besides maroon- and saffron-robed monks congregating under a sprawling Bodhi (pipal) tree decorated with prayer flags.

Niglihawa:

Niglihawa is a notable archaeological site that lies approximately 7 km from Taulihawa where the remains of the broken Ashokan Pillar lie close to a large pond. Kanakmuni Buddha was born and enlightened here. For this reason, Emperor Ashoka built a stupa and set up a pillar. It is a 15 feet tall pillar with inscriptions on its upper part. The Ashokan Pillar attests that Emperor Ashoka enlarged the stupa enshrining the relics of the Kanakmuni Buddha.

Sagarhawa:

Sagarhawa is approximately 12 km north of Taulihawa. It is the forest site where in 1895 the remains of an ancient pond were excavated. Archaeologists have recognized this place as the “Palace of the Massacre of the Shakyas”. The remnants of this ancient place lie on the banks of the large rectangular pond known as Lumbu Sagar in Niglihawa Village.

Aroarakot:

Aroarakot is located around 10 km from Taulihawa, there is a rectangular barricaded area known as Arourakot. Remains of the ancient moat and brick fortification around the Kot can still be clearly located. A brick-lined wall is to the south and an elevated mound is towards the northwest corner.

Top Hotels in Lumbini

Best Time to Visit Lumbini

October to March is the best time to visit Lumbini. This tarai reason receives heavy rain during monsoon (June-September) April & May is the summer season.

How to Reach Lumbini

By Air: Bhairahawa Airport in Nepal (BWA), also known as Siddhartha Nagar is the nearest airport from Lumbini which is 22 km away and it has flights from Kathmandu. From the Indian side, Gorakhpur Airport (GPO) is the nearest airport to Kushinagar which is 50 km away and it has flights from Delhi.

By Train: Gorakhpur railway station (GKP) in India is the nearest station from Lumbini which is 124 km away and it is well connected to stations like Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, and Lucknow.

By Road: After landing in Kathmandu, if you decide to take the road route to cover the rest of your journey to Lumbini. You can catch a flight to Bhairahawa first from Kathmandu, and then travel to Lumbini from here. People opting to fly into Bhairahawa Airport from Kathmandu can take a bus or taxi to Lumbini which is located only 26 km away from the airport.

The closest border crossing from Lumbini is Sunauli, which is located around 30 km away. People coming in from Gorakhpur and Varanasi in India first arrive at the Sunauli border before moving on to Lumbini. After crossing the border, you can take a taxi to the monument.