Visiting Lumbini, Buddha’s birthplace
On the roads of Nepal, you frequently see trucks emblazoned with tourist highlights and religious slogans, including BUDDHA WAS BORN IN NEPAL.
It turns out that historians know the exact spot where Buddha was born: now a sacred temple in Lumbini, southwestern Nepal, marked with a pillar by King Ashoka about 2,250 years ago.
Buddha’s birthplace draws pilgrims and is a point of national pride all across Nepal. Late last year, the Dalai Lama commented that India and Nepal borders were different then, causing protests and a rare retraction. This past December, the whole of Lumbini was shrouded in a thick mist. Approaching the park gates, guards sat around an open fire. Young monks biked by in bulky red and gold raincoats. In this weather, I could only see the road stretching out into infinity.
I remembered my Buddhist history lesson from the tour guide who had pestered me at Ngar Htat Gyi Pagoda in Yangon. “Born in the lap of luxury” he had said, several times. I didn’t get that as my first impression.
The Pilgrims
Following Chinese texts, archaeologists and religious experts rediscovered the Lumbini pillar in the 1890s, and they uncovered and reconstructed the temples and stupas which you can see today. The oldest parts of the temple are protected under a walkway, so you can look down on old foundations and the stone marking precisely where Baby Buddha was delivered.
When I arrived in the morning, I placed my shoes and socks in a shoe-rack, passed through a metal detector, and was not sure where to go. Inside the Mayadevi Temple, there were about 50 pilgrims in line ahead of me to pray at the Marker Stone. No photos are allowed and you are reminded to be quiet. You wait on a boardwalk and look down on the archaeological dig site. Some people have put money and offerings in.
In little alcoves in the wall, along the line, a few people were seated, meditating or praying in the direction of the Marker Stone. The two women immediately in front of me were carrying a baby, urging her to hush. I made sure to give them some space but watch to follow their steps.
At the front of the line, there is an open area where you can place money and offerings, and a box with a slot on it to slip in bills. Peering over the railing, you can see the cement-grey Marker Stone on top of bricks, lit and covered with a glass case. Photos aren’t allowed, but there are some online:
On your left at this point is a wall where many pilgrims have stuck gold leaf (I’m not sure if all Buddhists do this). The women in front of me bowed their heads and prayed, almost touching forehead to the wall. I had a moment to contemplate and left. Outside, a group of less-reverent teens were jumping for a selfie and got scolded by a guard.
Temples of the World
North of the temple, a reflecting pool stretches on forever. Ferries take pilgrims from one end to the other. Around the pool, you can walk on dirt roads to temples for monks and pilgrims from many countries.
I like to think of this place as ‘Buddhist Epcot’.
The scale of the park is difficult to describe. I would recommend renting a bike or rickshaw if you plan on seeing Lumbini in only one day.
Myanmar and China were the first to build here… piecing together their descriptions, it’s likely that their construction only began around 1995–97. Sharing the photos with friends abroad, they could identify I was seeing miniature versions of real temples back home.
The full photo set is too much, but I was impressed many times over.
Future Plans
Some temples were not on my map yet, and others are still being built. This Cambodian temple was being painted and had several carved pieces piled up and ready for its construction. The snakelike animal here is a naga, which protected Buddha.
Travel Tips
You can get buses to Lumbini daily from Pokhara and Kathmandu.
December was an odd time to visit — the weather was perpetually cold and misty. I’ve read that Lumbini is much more populated and hot in the spring and summer months, but this also makes it harder to visit crowded pilgrimage sites and temples (where hot stone floors can burn your bare feet).
The Korean monastery is known for feeding and housing visitors for a small fee. They have a bulletin board with regular events. I heard on the bus that the Chinese monastery does housing as well.
There are hostel-like hotels with WiFi and space heaters which you can find in Lumbini and around the park. There is no ‘night life’ or other attractions, so most guides recommend spending only one full day here. I had just spent all day on the bus, so I gave myself some additional time. One weird thing about the hotel was that they locked the front gate around 9:30pm.
There are only a few quality, sit-down Nepalese, Indian, and Western restaurants here. They are inexpensive compared to Kathmandu and Pokhara.
Finally, keep an eye out for monkeys and cranes!
