Overview
Lumbini in the Terai lowlands of southwestern Nepal is one of the four most sacred sites in the Buddhist world — the precise birthplace of Siddhartha Gautama (Shakyamuni Buddha, c.563 BCE). The Maya Devi Temple marks the exact spot, with the ancient Ashoka Pillar (erected 249 BCE by the Mauryan Emperor Ashoka) confirming the site’s authenticity. UNESCO recognised Lumbini as a World Heritage Site in 1997.
The modern Lumbini garden, designed by Kenzo Tange, spreads over 3km from the Sacred Garden (Maya Devi Temple, sacred Bodhi tree, and the Ashoka pillar) through a serene canal boulevard lined with monasteries built by Buddhist nations from 40 countries — each monastery built in its own national architectural style, creating one of the world’s most extraordinary collections of sacred architecture in a single place.