Buddha

The birthplace of Lord Buddha is Lumbini, located in present-day Nepal. Lumbini is one of the most sacred places in Buddhism, as it is where Siddhartha Gautama, who later became known as the Buddha, was born around 563 BCE.

Lumbini is situated in the Rupandehi District of Nepal, near the Indian border. According to Buddhist tradition, Queen Mahamaya, the mother of Siddhartha Gautama, was traveling to her paternal home for childbirth when she gave birth to Siddhartha in the Lumbini Garden, while resting under a sal tree (Shorea robusta). The site is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is visited by pilgrims and tourists from around the world.

In Lumbini, the key landmark is the Maya Devi Temple, which marks the exact spot where Siddhartha Gautama was born. The temple complex includes ancient ruins and a sacred pond where Queen Mahamaya is believed to have bathed before giving birth. Additionally, the Ashoka Pillar, erected by the Indian Emperor Ashoka during his pilgrimage to Lumbini in the 3rd century BCE, stands as a testament to the site's historical significance.

Lumbini is surrounded by various monasteries and monuments constructed by Buddhist communities from different countries, reflecting the global reverence for this sacred site. It continues to be a center of Buddhist pilgrimage, symbolizing peace and the birth of one of the world's great spiritual leaders.