Lumbinī — Birthplace of the Buddha

Lumbinī — Birthplace of the Buddha

Tradition

Buddhist / Theravada / Mahayana — First of the four principal Buddhist pilgrimage sites

Location

• Lumbini, Rupandehi, Nepal (27.4833°N, 83.2767°E)
• UNESCO World Heritage Site (inscribed 1997)

Timeline

Foreign Traveler Quotes

"The garden of Lumbini is still there, with the tree under which the Buddha was born still standing. The temple built by Ashoka is well-maintained, and pilgrims come from many countries to worship at this sacred spot." — Faxian (Fa-Hien), Chinese Buddhist pilgrim, Fo-Kwo-Ki, c. 400-411 CE

"The Buddha's birthplace is marked by a pillar of solid stone erected by Emperor Ashoka. The tree under which the Buddha was born is still alive and flourishing. The temple built by Ashoka at this place is about 20 feet high, and worshippers come daily to offer incense and flowers." — Xuanzang (Hiuen Tsang), Chinese Buddhist pilgrim, Si-Yu-Ki, c. 636-637 CE

Sacred Narrative

Lumbinī — where Queen Māyādevī gave birth to Siddhārtha under the Sāl tree — is the first of the 4 most-holy Buddhist places. UNESCO World Heritage (1997). The Māyādevī Temple houses the marker-stone erected by Emperor Aśoka in 249 BCE to mark the exact birthplace. The Aśoka Pillar (249 BCE) records the site. Pilgrims from all 54 Buddhist nations visit; each nation has built its own temple at Lumbinī — the Thai, Korean, Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese, Sri Lankan monasteries are spectacular architectural specimens.

Chinese pilgrims Faxian (5th century) and Xuanzang (7th century) both visited Lumbini at times when Buddhism was flourishing. They noted the sacred Sāl tree was still standing, the Ashoka temple was well-maintained, and pilgrims came from many countries to worship. The Ashoka Pillar inscription — still legible today — confirms this as the Buddha's birthplace.

In 1896, German archaeologist Anton Führer rediscovered the Ashoka Pillar during the British survey of Nepal. Today, Lumbini is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and receives millions of Buddhist pilgrims annually.