Lumbini is situated at the foothills of the Himalayas in modern Nepal. In the Buddha's time, Lumbini was a beautiful garden full of green and shady sal trees (Shorea). The garden and its tranquil environs were owned by both the Shakyas and Kolias clans. King Suddhodana, father of Gautama Buddha was of the Shakya dynasty belonging to the Kshatriya or the warrior caste. 

Maya Devi, his mother, gave birth to the child on her way to her parent's home in Devadaha while taking rest in Lumbini under a sal tree in the month of May in the year 642 B.C. The beauty of Lumbini is described in Pali and Sanskrit literature. Maya Devi it is said was spellbound to see the natural grandeur of Lumbini. While she was standing, she felt labor pains and catching hold of a drooping branch of a Sal tree, the baby, the future Buddha, was born. 

The bas relief above depicts Maya Devi with her right hand holding on to a branch of a sal tree with a newborn child standing upright on a lotus petal, shedding an oval halo, around his head, while two celestial figures pour water and lotuses from vessels of heaven as indicated by the delineation of clouds. This nativity scene was installed by Malla Kings of the Naga dynasty from about the 11th to 15th Century in the Karnali zone of Nepal. 

In 249 B.C., when the Emperor Ashoka visited Lumbini it was a flourishing village. Ashoka constructed four stupas and a stone pillar with a figure of a horse on top. The stone pillar bears an inscription which, in English translation, runs as follows. "King Piyadasi (another name for Ashoka), beloved of the gods, having being anointed 20 years, came here himself and worshipped saying 'Here Buddha Sakyamuni was born'. 

Maya Devi Temple

Lumbini remained neglected for centuries. In 1895, Feuhrer, a famous German archaeologist, discovered the great pillar while wandering about the foothills of the Churia range. Further exploration and excavation of the surrounding area revealed the existence of a brick temple and a sandstone sculpture within the temple itself which depicts the scenes of the Buddha's birth. 

It is pointed out by scholars that the temple of Maya Devi was constructed over the foundations of more than one earlier temple or stupa, and that this temple was probably built on an Ashokan stupa itself. 

On the south of the Maya Devi temple there is the famous sacred bathing pool known as Puskarni. It is believed that Maha Devi took a bath in this pool before the delivery. By the side of the Ashoka pillar there is a river which flows south-east and is locally called the 'Ol' river. 

In 1996, an archaeological dig unearthed a "flawless stone" placed there by the Indian Emperor Ashoka in 249 B.C. to mark the precise location of the Buddha's birth more than 2,600 years ago, if authenticated, the find will put Lumbini even more prominently on the map for millions of religious pilgrims. 

Recently, several beautiful shrines have been built by devotees from Buddhist countries. A visit to Lumbini, the birth-place of Buddha, is not only for spiritual enlightenment but also for solace and satisfaction that one gets in such a calm and peaceful place. 
 

Introduction
Lumbini is considered to be the place where Siddhartha Gautama, the founder of Buddhism, was born over 2500 years ago. Those who have been to the birthplace of other major religious figures –Bethlehem or Mecca— will be surprised to find the utter unev entfulness of this place. There are no massive edifices of worship, no crowds of pilgrims. It is a very desolate, quiet expanse of land –in some odd ways, almost emphasizing the nonchalant attitude that Buddhism promotes toward worldly things. About 30km east of Lumbini is the village of Tilaurakot which is believed to have been the location of the Kapilvastu royal palace where the Buddha grew up as the Shakya dynasty prince, until he renounced it at the age of 29 in search of enlightenment. 

Transportation
Buses run every hour or so between neighboring Bhairawa and Lumbini from about six in the morning to about five in the afternoon. They are crowded and slow: it almost takes an hour for the 22km trip. Slightly more expensive, but worth it if you are a small group, you can hire a cab for the day for about US$15. You can also hire a three-wheeler tempo for about half the price. 

You can fly to Bhairawa from Kathamandu: there are five flights a week for US$75. The buses from Kahtmandu and Pokhara take about 10 hours and cost about US$2. 

Depending on how long you want to stay in Lumbini, a bicycle would be nice go around but not necessary (expecially for the fact that one cannot find a bike for rent easily). 

Of Interest
There is not much in terms of tangible things of interest in Lumbini other than the Mayadevi Temple (the spot where the Buddha is believed to have been born), the sacred pond (where Mayadevi, the mother of the Buddha, was supposed to have bathed her c hild after birth) , and the Ashoka Pillar (aka Ashoka Stambha, erected in 250BC, it is the oldest historical monument in Nepal), and a couple of monastaries . 

There is an important work of excavation going on around the Mayadevi Temple. Ruins of old buildings and monsastaries that have been uncovered hint that it used to be an important religious place until about the last millenium. 

Two hours is the maximum it takes to cover the area. 

Accommodation
Many just make a day trip to Lumbini from neighboring towns of Butwal, Bhairawa or Sunauli. But if you want to stay in the area, the peaceful environment of Lumbini certainly better than those towns. The Lumbini Hokke Hotel is a spotlessly clean excel lent Japanese style hotel for a rather steep price (US$80 up). The Sri-Lankan Pilgrims' Rest House is a more modest living place for about US$10; it is a little distance away from the main center of Lumbini though. The Lumbini Village Lodge is closer and provides rooms for a few dollar less, but the rooms are very basic at best.