Many people think that Lumbini is a part of India, but this holy place of Buddhism is actually located in the western region of Nepal. It is 322 km far away from Kathmandu, the capital city of the country. Lumbini is the birthplace of Lord Buddha. According to the Lumbini Tourism Board more than 400,000 Buddhists and non-Buddhists visit Lumbini every year. It is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site (Culture) and holds immense archaeological and religious importance.
In recognition of the archaeological and historical sanctity of this site, Lumbini was finally listed on the World Heritage List in 1997.
Every visitor can see the exact spot of the birth of Lord Buddha at the Maya Devi Temple. Excavations have revealed the “marker stone” showing the exact spot where Siddhartha Gautama Buddha was born which is kept under protection. It is also considered to be the best place in the world to meditate.
Climate
During winter, the temperatures ranges from 9 to 23 °C i.e. (48 to 73 °F). The season starts from November and ends in March. While in summer the temperature can reach up to 40 °C (104 °F). The season starts April and ends in October. Monsoon rains usually begin in June and end in September.
How to get there?
You can go either by bus or via plane from the capital city of the country, Kathmandu. If you go via plane it will cost you around 70$ to reach Bhairahawa. The birthplace of Lord Buddha is 22 km away to the west of Bhairahawa.
If you take a bus it will cost to around 15$ including lunch to reach Lumbini from Kathmandu. It will take around 8-9 hours to reach Lumbini if you take a bus.
What to see?
Most important temple at Lumbini is the Maya Devi Temple, which enshrines the traditional site of the Buddha’s birth.
Mayadevi Temple
Mayadevi temple stands next to a sacred pool and a sacred garden. It was here in the gardens of Lumbini that Prince Siddhartha Gautama, who later became the Buddha, was born in 623 BC. Buddhist Pilgrims from all over the world come to Mayadevi Temple to pray and meditate.
International Gautami Nuns Temple
The International Gautami Nuns Temple is a replica of the Swayambhu Stupa of Kathmandu.This Nun is made by the Government of Nepal representing Nepali temple in Lumbini. It is indeed very relaxing place to meditate and spend your whole day at the holy place Lumbini.
Royal Thai Buddhist Monastery
Royal Thai Buddhist Monastery is made by the Thai Government. Monastery and buildings build by Thai Government have been designed and built according to the Thai architecture.
Amazing white marbled Thai monastery itself attract 50,000 visitors every year. The place is said to bless the disabled and helpless people. So pilgrims come with a great hope and spend days here curing themselves. It also houses meditation and yoga hours where people are inspired to find inner peace.
Opening hours: 8 am – noon & 1pm – 5pm
World Peace Pagoda
It is one of my favourite Pagodas in Lumbini. Surrounded by the beauty of nature and the peaceful environment make this place full of positive energy and vibes. People from all over the world come here to meditate and relax.
Opening hours 5 am – noon & 1 pm – 10pm
My name is Manish Sharma and I am 22 years old Nepal Based Traveller Blogger, Designer, Programmer, SEO expert and has a dream to travel all around the world. You can check my travel blog. You can also check out my Facebook or LinkedIn.
All images on this post are in property of the photographer © Anup Ghimire. He gave us exclusive right to use them on this article.
