Lumbinī — where Queen Māyādevī gave birth to Siddhārtha Gautama

📖 Stories

• The Birth of the Buddha at Lumbini
  **Lumbinī** — where Queen **Māyādevī** gave birth to **Siddhārtha Gautama** (who would become the Buddha) under a sāl tree — is the **first of the four most-holy Buddhist pilgrimage sites** (with Bodh Gaya, Sarnath, Kushinagar). According to Buddhist tradition, Queen Māyādevī was traveling from Kapilavastu to Devadaha for the birth of her child when she stopped to rest at Lumbini. As she stood holding a sāl tree branch, she went into labor and gave birth to Siddhārtha, who immediately took seven steps and declared "I am chief of the world." The **Māyādevī Temple** marks the exact spot of birth. The **Ashoka Pillar** (erected 249 BCE) bears an inscription in Brahmi script identifying the site as the Buddha's birthplace. This pillar was discovered in 1896 by German archaeologist Carl Leopold and is the oldest surviving Buddhist monument. Chinese pilgrims **Faxian** (5th century) and **Xuanzang** (7th century) both visited Lumbini and described the sacred garden, the pillar, and the pool where Māyādevī bathed. **Ibn Battuta** (14th century) also visited and described the pilgrim reverence at the site. Today Lumbini is a major international Buddhist pilgrimage site. Each of the world's 54 Buddhist nations has built its own temple within the Lumbini complex, representing the global reach of Buddhism. The **UNESCO World Heritage** designation (1997) ensures protection of this most sacred site. The **Pushkarini (sacred pool)** where Queen Māyādevī bathed before giving birth is also a site of pilgrimage, with devotees performing ritual ablutions.
  — Buddhist tradition + Pali Canon + Mahayana sutras + scholarly sources