Lumbini - Birthplace of Buddha, Nepal

Lumbini is the place where the founder of Buddhism, Lord Buddha was born. The auspicious garden of Lumbini is situated, amidst the newly established town of Siddharthanagar in the hot Terai plains of West Nepal. The broken Ashokan Pillar, holy remnants of Buddha’s mother Great Maya Devi are still well preserved here. Lumbini is the Mecca of every Buddhist, being one of the four holy places of Buddhism.

Location

Lumbini is situated in Nepal about 22km from Bhairahawa of Nepal in the foot hills of Himalayas, near by the Indian border.

How to Reach Lumbini, Nepal

• By Air – The nearest airport is Bhairahawa is about 22km, well connected to Kathmandu airport.
• By Train – there is no train connected to Lumbini.
• By Road – Lumbini is approximately 8 hour from Kathmandu (capital of Nepal) and less than Hour’s drive away from Bhairahawa. Buses from Bhairahawa to Lumbini leave at regular intervals.

Accommodation

• Lumbini Hokee Hotel – It is located on the premises of the Lumbini Master Plan in Lumbini, where the Buddha was born. The Hokke is a Japanese hotel providing clean, comfortable accommodation within walking distance to the sacred garden.
• Lumbini Hotl kasai – This is a Japanese owned and run hotel and located near to Lumbini garden. Clean, peaceful and great service is offered at kasai Hotel.
• Buddha Bhoomi Guest House – This hotel is near to the bus station and you can walk to Maya Devi Temple from the hotel. They have very simple rooms and a restaurant in the guest house with basic food.
• Hotel Stupa – It is just 5min by walk from the Maya Devi Temple in Lumbini. The hotel is small and so were the rooms. Food is freshly made on order, fast room service and parking is available.

What/Where To Eat

• Lumbini Invitation 365 Restaurant – It is a quite a small restaurant with a small washroom. Their menu is striking in terms of the availability of alcohol and the pricing of both booze and the food. The vegetarian and non-vegetarian Indian, Nepali, and Chinese snacks and curries all were marked less than other restaurants in Lumbini.
• Maitri Restaurant – It is the part of Hotel Ananda Inn. Maître serves vegetarian and non-vegetarian breakfast, lunch, snacks, dinner and also alcoholic and other beverages. For lunch and dinner, a wide choice of Nepali, Indian, Chinese and western food is available. They make buffet arrangement when they have large tour groups staying with them.
• Three Vision Restaurant – this restaurant is the only western style restaurant in the street. It serves as meeting point for the westerner travellers. Three Vision Restaurants is connected with Lumbini Peace lodge. The food is cheap and there is a good selection  
• Kudan Restaurant – If you wish to have really good Thai pr Chinese food in Lumbini, a visit to Kudan restaurant will be a must. Kudan is international because they serve Nepali, Indian, Chinese, Thai and Continental food. Kudan has a bar licence too, hard drinks here can be ordered in bottles.

Tourist Places to Visit in Lumbini, Nepal

• Maya Devi Temple – The Maya Devi Temple has been dedicated to the birth of the Lord Buddha and his mother, Maya Devi. Perhaps the most noteworthy aspect of the Mayadevi Temple is that scholars insist it was built on the foundation of more than one previous temple. Inside the temple there was found a sandstone sculpture depicting this very temple and the birth of the Buddha.
• The Ashokan Pillar – Ashoka Pillar is the proof of Buddha’s birthplace in lumbini, Nepal. established by the great king Ashoka in about 245B.C. the inscription on the pillar states the birthplace of Gautam Buddha. The pillar is behind the Maya Devi temple, to the west of the temple. The Asokan Pillar pays tribute to the Buddha and his birthplace in the Brahmi script.
• Sanctum-Sanctorum of the Birthplace – It is the most important place for Buddhist as it is the exact spot of the Lord Buddha’s birth.
• Puskarni – On the south of the Maya Devi temple there is a famous sacred bathing pool known as Puskarni. It is believed that Maya Devi took a bath in this pool before the delivery and where the Buddha had his first bath.
• Kapilavastu – a holy destination related to the early life of a legend, Lord Buddha. It is located approximately 27km away from Lumbini. It houses many sculptures of Buddhism, which present a landscape before that visitors that makes them feel calm, content.

Lumbini is today one of the four main pilgrimage places in Buddhism and is also an important place of pilgrimage for those Hindus who consider the Buddha one of the many manifestations of the god Vishnu. The place is also a “UNESCO World heritage Site”.