Lumbinī is a Buddhist pilgrimage site in
the Rupandehi District of Lumbini
Province in Nepal. According to the sacred texts of the Buddhist Commentaries, Maya Devi gave
birth to Siddhartha Gautama in Lumbini in c.624 BCE. Siddhartha
Gautama achieved Enlightenment, and became
Shakyamuni Buddha who founded Buddhism. He later
passed into parinirvana at the age of 80 years, in
c.544 BCE. Lumbini is one of four most sacred pilgrimage sites pivotal in
the life of the Buddha.
Lumbini
has a number of old temples, including the Mayadevi Temple, and
several new temples, funded by Buddhist organisations from various countries.
Most of the temples have already been completed and some are still under
construction. Many monuments, monasteries, stupas, a
museum, and the Lumbini International Research Institute are also near to the
holy site. The Puskarini, or Holy Pond, is where Mayadevi, the Buddha's mother,
is believed to have taken the ritual bath prior to his birth and where the
Buddha also had his first bath. At other sites near Lumbini, earlier Buddhas
were born, then achieved ultimate Enlightenment and finally relinquished their
earthly forms.
Lumbini
was made a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1997.
Lumbini is 4.8 km
(3 mi) in length and 1.6 km (1.0 mi) in width. The holy site of
Lumbini is bordered by a large monastic zone in which only monasteries can be
built, no shops, hotels or restaurants. It is separated into an eastern and
western monastic zone, the eastern having the Theravadin monasteries, the western having Mahayana and Vajrayana monasteries. There is a long water filled canal
separating the western and eastern zones, with a series of brick arch bridges
joining the two sides along the length. The canal is serviced by simple
outboard motor boats at the north end which provides tours. The holy site of
Lumbini has ruins of ancient monasteries, a sacred Bodhi tree, an ancient bathing pond, the Ashokan pillar and the Mayadevi Temple, a site traditionally
considered to be the birthplace of the Buddha. From early morning to early
evening, pilgrims from various countries perform chanting and meditation at the
site.
Lumbini complex is divided into
three areas: the Sacred Garden, the Monastic Zone and the Cultural Center and New
Lumbini Village. The Sacred Garden remains the epicenter of the Lumbini area
and consists of the birthplace of Buddha and other monuments of archaeological and spiritual
importance such as the Mayadevi Temple, the Ashoka Pillar, the Marker Stone, the Nativity Sculpture, Puskarini Sacred
Pond and other structural ruins of Buddhist stupas and viharas. The Monastic
Zone, spanning an area of one square mile is divided into two zones: the East
Monastic Zone which represents Theravada school of Buddhism and the West Monastic Zone which
represents Mahayana and Vajrayana school of Buddhism, with their respective monasteries
on the either side of a long pedestrian walkway and canal. Marking the monastic
spot as a sacred pilgrimage site, many countries have established Buddhist
stupas and monasteries in the monastic zone with their unique historical,
cultural and spiritual designs. The Cultural Center and New Lumbini Village
comprises Lumbini Museum, Lumbini International Research Institute, World Peace
Pagoda of Japan, Lumbini Crane Sanctuary and other administrative offices. The Government of Bangladesh is currently constructing a
major Buddhist monastery in Lumbini.