things to visit in lumbini

8 Places to Visit in Lumbini + Things To Do

1. Maya Devi Temple & the Sacred Garden

Location : Taulihawa Road, Lumbini Sanskritik 32900, Nepal . Save on Google Maps .

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Where to stay in Lumbini (click below to see rates and book online) Cheapest Rates |  | Home Rentals/Airbnb

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See also :   Places to visit in Nepal  |  Kathmandu Tourist Spots  |  Everest Base Camp Trek Itinerary  |  Spots to See in Chitwan  |  Where to go in Pokhara .

More travel tips coming up! In the meantine, enjoy this  quick list  of attractions and tourist spots in Lumbini. To help with your trip planning, I’ve added links to the locations on Google Maps. Feel free to click/tap on the links posted. Then, use the “save” feature on the Google Maps app for easy reference. I’ve also shared photos from my  Instagram feed . Use Instagram’s save feature for quick access to your travel/feed goals.

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2. The Bodhi Tree & Maya Devi Pond

3. Ashoka Pillar

Location : Maya Devi Temple , Taulihawa Road, Lumbini Sanskritik 32900, Nepal . Save on Google Maps .

4. World Peace Pagoda

Location : Lumbini Sanskritik 32914, Nepal . Save on Google Maps .

5. Central Canal & Lumbini Monastic Site

Location : Lumbini Sanskritik 32900, Nepal . Save on Google Maps .

6. The Eternal Peace Flame of Lumbini

Location : Central Canal, Lumbini Monastic Site, Lumbini, Nepal . Save on Google Maps .

7. International Monasteries & Temples

Location : Lumbini Monastic Site, Lumbini, Nepal . Save on Google Maps .

8. Lumbini Crane Sanctuary

What places have you added to your bucketlist? Have you been to beautiful places in Lumbini that should be on this list? Feel free to share your thoughts!

Places to visit in Lumbini

Lumbini tourist spots, things to do in Lumbini, where to go in Lumbini & more.

Note: Destinations featured above are not listed by rank.

Where to Stay in Lumbini

Click below & search recommended Lumbini hotels/hostels/home rentals within your budget. Remember to set your  min/max price , travel dates, and  sort by review ratings . I often book online with these trusted booking sites below for rock-bottom prices & convenient bookings.

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Book sooner rather than later if you already have your dates set. Cheaper-priced rooms and hotels with high reviews tend to get fully booked faster, especially during busy days like weekends, holidays & peak tourist seasons.

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25 Places You Should not Miss to Visit While You Are in Lumbini, Nepal

Lumbini, the holy place in the Terai region of Nepal, is probably one of the most famous tourist destinations for all Buddhist devotees all over the world. Apart from Buddhist devotees, its breathtaking beauty, peaceful environment, and the best Buddhist shrines have attracted thousands of regular tourists from every corner of the earth.

This UNESCO-enlisted birthplace of Lord Gautam Buddha has a lot of things to offer to its visitors- from shrines, and monuments that reflect Buddhism to the beautiful gardens and ponds.

Spread over 4.8 Kilometers in length and 1.3 kilometers in width, the Lumbini heritage is in the monastic region where no monuments other than monasteries can be built.

The building of any recreational objects is illegal in Lumbini in this area. Within that area, there are lots of Buddhist shrines that are worth visiting. So, if you are planning to visit Lumbini but have no knowledge about the places, here are the 9 most important places in the Lumbini area that you must visit while you are in this region.

25 Places to Visit in Lumbini, Nepal

UNESCO enrolled the origin as a world legacy site because of its significance to the Hindu and Buddhist religious groups and also the history and culture of the whole world. The Lumbini legacy site covers 4.8km long and 1.3 km in width and is expressed as a religious zone where no one but cloisters can be fabricated.

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• 1. Maya Devi Temple / Maya Devi sanctuary

2. Ashok Pillar

3. myanmar golden temple, 4. world peace pagoda, 5. dharma swami maharaja boddhavihar.

• 6. China Temple / China sanctuary

7. Lumbini Museum

8. sanctum -santorum of the birthplace of lord buddha, 9. puskarnithe sacred pool, 10. eternal peace flame, 11. kapilvastu, 12. terrified garden, 13. the marker stone:, 14. the nativity sculpture:, 15. tilaurakot:, 16. araurakot:, 17. gotihawa:, 18. kudan:, 19. niglihawa:, 20. sagarhawa:, 21. devedaha:, 23. try indian foods from street vendors, 24. rent a bicycle and explore rural terrain, 25. sign up for a meditation class.

Working on any recreational structure in the zone is precluded and is isolated from the Eastern zone (with Theravadin cloisters) and the Western zone (Mahayana and Vajrayana religious communities). The significant attractions of Lumbini are as per the following.

1. Maya Devi Temple /  Maya Devi sanctuary

The temple of Maya Devi is the major attraction around the Lumbini area. This temple is a building that protects the exact spot where Lord Buddha was believed to have been born. Along with that stone, it also has many bricks and structures from the time Buddha was born.

The Bondi Tree which is nearby the temple is the tree where Queen Maya Devi took a rest while she was traveling. The temple is also accompanied by a pond where people believe that Buddha took his very first bath.

The most noted and vital sanctuary in the commencement reveres the conventional area of Buddha’s introduction to the world. The Maya Devi sanctuary is one of the real attractions of Lumbini. The later sanctuary is a white building that secures the correct spot of Buddha’s introduction to the world, meant by a marker stone.

The Bodhi tree is the tree where Maya Devi rested in the shade while she was voyaging. It was there that she started giving birth and took a custom plunge into the close-by lake, which is accepted to be where Buddha scrubbed down as well.

Notwithstanding the Ashokan Pillar, the other sanctum of significance is the base-help pictures of Maha Maya Debi-the Queen of King Suddhodan. Revered in a little pagoda-like structure, the picture demonstrates Maya Debi, the mother of Crown Prince Siddhartha Gautam. She is seen supporting herself by hanging on with her correct hand to a branch of a sal tree, with the recently conceived newborn child Buddha standing upright on a lotus platform on a level radiance.

Two other divine figures are portrayed in a demonstration of pouring sacred water and lotuses given from paradise Earlier the picture was put in the well-known white sanctuary of Maya Debi other than the column now completely disassembled to clear a path for the unearthings which uncovered the Sanctum Sanctorum, the correct spot where our Lord was conceived.

It is best for the general population who are intrigued to think about the historical backdrop of Nepal. They can know much data about the group of Lord Buddha. They likewise can know his adolescent way of life and the way he got salvation.

Right beside the Maya Devi Temple, lies the Pillar which was built by Emperor Ashoka of India in 249 BC. It is also known as Ashoka Pillar. This pillar has an inscription that describes the importance of Lumbini as the birthplace of Lord Buddha. This pillar holds very important historical significance as it is proof that Buddha was born in the Lumbini rather than in India.

It is trusted that this Pillar was worked in 249 BC when Emperor Ashoka of India went by the then-thriving town of Lumbini. He constructed four stupas and a Pillar with a stallion icon at the best and an engraving that portrays his visit and the significance of Lumbini as the origin of Lord Buddha.

The column is encompassed by a little fence, enriched with vivid supplication banners, and has dishes to light incense sticks and contemplate. This column holds a recorded hugeness and it is thought to be one of the significant attractions of Lumbini.

The Ashok Pillar; was founded by the now-well-known German classicist Dr. Further, the column is the principal epigraphic confirmation identifying with the life history of Lord Buddha and is additionally the most noticeable point of interest in the favorable garden.

The memorable significance of the column is proven by the engraving engraved on the column (in Brahmi characters). It is said that the Hindu Indian Emperor Ashok-the Great, who got changed over, went to the site in the twentieth year of his increase to the honored position and as a tribute to the unadulterated origination raised the column.

The engraving on the column is generally interpreted as; King Piyadesi the dearest of the Gods, having been blessed 20 years, came himself and worshiped saying-Here Buddha Sakyamnu was conceived. He caused to make a stone (capital) speaking to a stallion and caused (this) stone column to be raised. Since here the reverential one has conceived the town of Lumbini has made free of expenses and beneficiary of riches.

Myanmar Golden Temple is the oldest structure in the Lumbini area. This temple has three prayer halls. Inside the temple, there is the Lokamani Pula Pagoda which is a Burmese-style Pagoda that resembles the Shwe-Dagon Pagoda of Yangon. This golden temple was made by the Myanmar government in the Lumbini area.

One of the most established structures on the premises with three supplication lobbies is the Myanmar brilliant sanctuary. Appropriate inside the sanctuary premises is the Lokamani Pula pagoda, another Burmese-style pagoda that takes after the Shwedagon Pagoda of Yangon. This site is beautiful to the point that you will be astonished and won’t let your eyes off this Temple.

The World Peace Pagoda is probably the most beautiful in the Lumbini area. Built at the cost of over one million US dollars by the Japanese, it is a shiny white structure with the golden statue of the Lord Buddha. Though the peace pagoda is not in the Lumbini world heritage site area, this landmark is equally famous as any other monastery inside the Lumbini area.

This pagoda was worked by the Japanese at the cost of US $ 1 million, simply outside the fundamental region. The pagoda has the statue of Lord Buddha in the position he took when he was conceived. It is a glimmering white structure with a brilliant statue. It is one of the rising attractions of Lumbini.

This Vihar is Tibetan-styled Gompa which is right outside the complex. This Vihar was built by the Raja of Mustang and Eminence ChogyaTrichenRinboche. In this Vihar, a puja is conducted every single day by around sixty monks who reside. This Vihar is one of the landmarks of the Lumbini world heritage site.

This Tibetan-styled Gompa outside the complex was worked by His Eminence Chogya Trichen Ringboche and Raja of Mustang where Tara Puja is led each day by the 60 priests who dwell there.

6. China Temple /  China sanctuary

China temple is a huge complex with lots of prayer rooms, meditation cells, and pagodas. This elegant monastery is a very much impressive structure because of its style and uniqueness. Arriving at this monastery through various other monasteries, this monastery looks like something out of the Forbidden City.

It is a complex of pagodas, petition rooms, and reflection cells. Alternate sanctuaries and religious communities incorporate the Korean sanctuary, while others are worked by Vietnam, Thailand, Mongolia, Germany, Sri Lanka, and different nations. This site is beautiful to the point that you will be astonished and won’t let your eyes off this Temple.

In the Lumbini area, apart from all the majestic and supreme monasteries, lies a museum that is a landmark in itself in terms of its style. This museum is devoted to the life of Lord Buddha and it has many photos and objects from Buddhist places all over the world. If you are visiting Lumbini and want to know more about Buddhism and Lord Buddha, this is the place you must not ignore.

It is situated in the Cultural Zone and contains Mauryan and Kushana coins, religious original copies, earthenware pieces, and stone and metal models. It additionally has a broad accumulation of stamps from different nations delineating Lumbini and the Buddha.

Lumbini International Research Institute: situated inverse to the Lumbini Museum, LIRI gives investigate offices to the investigation of Buddhism and religion as a rule. Run together by the Lumbini Development Trust (LDT) and the Reiyukai of Japan, LIRI contains various books on religion, reasoning, craftsmanship, and design.

The Lumbini exhibition hall is known as a Buddhist workmanship display and focuses on Buddhism. It helps save Buddhist culture and instructs us on its esteem. It grants learning to educated and also ignorant people of the general public through workmanship remains.

Earthenware board of Siddhartha and Yasodhara in bed posture, human and creature puppets, Punch stamped and Kushana coins, different copies of Buddhist pictures, and photographs from Indian exhibition halls are shown. The wonderful discoveries of Lumbini like Bodhisattva, Maitreya, Ratnasambhava, Vajravārāhi (Tara), nativity figure of Buddha, combination stone (Marker stone), and Padampaniavalokitesvar are not kept in this gallery.

Either unique or imitations of the great structures and antiques of Kapilvastu, Devadaha, Ramagrama, and Lumbini ought to be shown here. Guests should feel that they are viewing the historical center of Lumbini, the origination of Lord Buddha, yet no Indian gallery.

Being the viable medium for kids, outlines, pictures, light slides, picture collections, films, handouts, miniaturized scale films, indexes, and manuals ought to be delivered as instructive materials for schools, grounds, and colleges.

Shown items ought to be present in short, exact, and simple to-peruse stories, exhibited in the divider, protest names, and varying media, for example, recordings and CD-ROMs. Intuitive electronic maps, PC-based tests that test guests’ learning, and projects that enable guests to reproduce a rocket dispatch or airship landing are other connections with a display include that make utilization of PC innovation.

The Lumbini historical center should offer to handle trips for school gatherings, and it ought to be given instructive materials and workshops that assist instructors to utilize gallery accumulations and presentations as educational programs assets.

The most important landmark of Lumbini is probably the stone slab located under Sanctum sanctorum. This stone slap base identifies the exact location of the original place where Gautam Buddha was born. This stone slab is protected in the Maya Devi Mandir.

In the South of the Maya Devi Temple, there is a well-known holy pool or pond named Puskarni. This pond is thought to be the same divine pool in which queen Maya Devi took a religious dip right before giving life to Lord Buddha. The pool is architecturally marvelous and has three terraces in ascending order.

Near the Asokan Pillar on the southern side is the blessed lake, the Puskarini, accepted to be the sacred lake in which Maya Devi washed up just before bringing forth the Lord Buddha. It is additionally the site where the newborn child sovereign Siddhartha was given his first cleaning shower. The lake has terraced steps and is bolted by wonderfully layered blocks.

South of the Ashokan column, there is well known holy survey named Puskarni accepted to be a similar heavenly pool in which Maya Debi took a devout plunge just before bringing forth the Lord and where the newborn child Buddha was given its first cleansing shower. Compositionally the pool has three anticipating patios in the rising request and is uncovered with fine block brickwork.

Another major attraction of the Lumbini area is the Eternal Peace Flame or Shanti Deep. This flame burns continuously for an indefinite period. Lots of tourists visit Lumbini to see this torch that burns always for peace.

Around twenty-five hundred and a few years back, Kapilvastu was a little republic arranged underneath the Churia or Shiwalik scope of the foothills of the Himalayas. At the season of the introduction of Buddha, Suddhodana the father of Buddha was managed by Kapilvastu as his boss or lord.

The main portrayal of Kapilvastu is by the Chinese student of history and traveler, Fa-Hien who went by Lumbini and Kapilvastu in 403. A.D. When he achieved the site, the city was set apart by destroying demolishes and hills. A couple of priests and everyday citizens lived there. Removal of Kapilvastu and the surroundings was begun in 1899 and Kapilvastu was situated in 1901.

Appropriate unearthings were directed in 1967 and forward to the division of archaic exploration, His Majesty? Government (HMG). At this site, the auxiliary remains of the castle of Lord Suddhodana, and a few stupas were found. More imperative points of interest are yet to be uncovered after further unearthings. Kapilvastu is an imperative local place of Buddha where he put in his initial 29 years of life.

Kapilvastu is related to a few episodes of his life, for example, meeting the wiped-out individual, contemplation of Saint Asit, rivalry with Shakya youth, shooting of a bolt to make the spring of water spout out et cetera. At the point when Buddha got illumination in Bodhgaya at this place, 500 Shakyas and 8 sovereigns received Buddhism. At this place, he lectured his dad and Son Rahul moreover.

Lumbini is a position of the journey for Buddhists and a position of worship for peace admirers of any religious confidence all through the world. The focal point of fascination at Lumbini is the holy garden with Mayadevi Sanctuary portraying the introduction of Lord Buddha, the Ashokan column pinpointing the place of birth of the Buddha, and the Sakyan Tank where Mayadevi, the mother of the Buddha should have taken a plunge before delivering the child.

All around this heavenly site there are leftovers of religious communities and chaityas worked throughout the hundreds of years following the Buddha’s introduction to the world in 623 B.C. This site is beautiful to the point that you will be astonished and won’t let your eyes off this place.

This stone aggregate found profoundly covered in the sanctum sanatorium pinpoints the correct area for the introduction of Lord Buddha. This was found after the fastidious removal of the Maya Devi Temple site in 1996. The correct size of the Marker Stone is 70×40×10 cm. This is presently secured with impenetrable glass.

The picture of Maya Devi otherwise called the Nativity form dated back to the fourth century AD, and portrays Maya Devi, holding the branch of a tree with her correct hand for help. Alongside her Gautami Prajapati, her particular sister, in supporting stance in the season of conveyance is standing. The recently conceived sovereign Siddhartha is standing upright on a Lotus platform, with two heavenly figures accepting him.

The old capital of Sakya, Kapilvastu, has now been related to Tilaurakot, a site in ruins found 25 km west of Lumbini. The five times home of this walled city start in the eighth – 7h B.C. what’s more, ended in 2 d century A.D. Unearthings have uncovered the establishments of a fortification with safeguard divider, portals, religious communities, and stupas.

Araurakot lies around 9 km upper east of Tilaurakot. P.C. Mukherji (1899) recognized it as the natal town of Kanakmuni Buddha. It is a rectangular sustained region that contains a channel with piles of old remains.

Gotihawa lies 5 km southwest of Taulihawa town and is viewed as the natal town of Krakuchanda Buddha. The place has vestiges of antiquated homes, stupas, and religious communities. The place was gone to by Ashoka as confirmed by a column with engravings. The column is broken with the upper part absent.

Kudan is found 2 km southwest of Taulihawa on approach to Gotihawa. Gigantic basic remnants are demonstrating the destruction of cloisters and stupas with a tank close by.

Nighthawk, 7 km northwest of Tilaurakot, was another site went to by Ashoka and set apart with a column. The column is broken into two pieces. The standing base column has Ashokan engraving in Brahmi and the upper column has Devanagari* engraving stamping Ripu MaiWs visit in 1312 AD. There are vestiges of religious communities, stupas, and homes. It is distinguished as the antiquated town of Sobhawati, the origin of Kanakmuni Buddha

Sagarhawa lies at 3.5 kin. north of Tilaurakot and west of Banganga river. It is a rectangular depression. Excavations done in 1896 traced seventeen stupas and large monuments made from well-burnt bricks. Findings of the casket and other rare antiquities indicate them to be votive stupas of the war dead. However, these stupas remain no more as they were excavated to their foundation without a restoration.

Devedaha lies 34 km northeast of Lumbini near the village of Khairhani. The Kolya of Devadaha is considered a maternal tribe of Gautam Buddha. There are archaeological mounds near the village.

22. Ramgram:

Ramgram lies 4 km south of Paris town in Nawalparasi district. The remains of the stupa and monastery as mounds are beside the bank of the Jahari river in Kerwani village. The huge stupa mound is 30 ft high and 70 ft. in diameter. Koliyas of Ramagram are listed among the eight tribes that received the corporeal relics of the Buddha at Kushinagar.

With all of the above-mentioned attractions, Lumbini is considered one of the holiest places to visit for all Buddhists and Hindus. This site is equally popular among historians and other people who like to know about Buddhism and Lord Buddha more.

Other than structures, Lumbini is also known for the wide species of birds that roam around. It includes gaps, eagles, sarus cranes, and other various endangered animals. Apart from the Lumbini area, the nearby villages are also worth visiting. Understanding the lifestyle of the diverse people living around Lumbini can be a whole new experience.

Lastly, a trip to Lumbini can provide you with a whole new experience combining nature, culture, religion, and the very warm welcome of the local people. So, do not miss visiting this beautiful and peaceful place and gaining inner peace. You will never be disappointed with Lumbini.

Extra Things to do in Lumbini.

The best thing I like about traveling is the local food. I am a food Junkie and like to taste varieties of local food. If you are among the people who like to taste local street food instead of eating at McDonald’s while traveling, Lumbini might be a great place for you.

A sub-mixture of Indian/Nepali food in varieties of styles can be found in this region. Many street vendors are selling delicious homemade local food, mostly with Indian Flavor. Remember, Lumbini is right at the Indian Border. Hence, Indian food is common.

Most of the food you will find is vegetarian. Momo, Noodles, Curries, Pakauda, Samosa, Tikiya Chat, and Pani Puri are the most common. Order your food, sit for a while and enjoy the food. You won’t find Western Hygiene here but find the local taste.

To get more inside the local culture, I normally try to explore rural parts in comparison to the modern town. A rental wheel on your own is the best way for sightseeing. Multiple options are available in Lumbini for sightseeing around major monasteries area.

You can use rickshaws for sightseeing other than a cab. Give it a try bicycle and burn fat instead of fuel. However, during summer it’s not recommended. The temperature can be more than 40 degrees Celsius during the daytime. Look around you in Lumbini, everyone is on a bicycle. Why?

Because the roads are flat and easy to ride, the weather is generously warm and traffic is minimal. Head for the country, look for quiet roads, there are many. As you ride you will pass by local huts, happy children yelling Namaste, mustard fields with yellow flowers, rice paddies, and occasional surprises.

It is farmland and friendly people, goats, buffalos, and oxen. You will see ancient agricultural methods still working! It’s a study of the past set in the present. You can rent a bicycle everywhere either on an hourly or daily basis for next to nothing. It’s cheap and provides pleasure, so go for it.

Everyone in the 21st century is busy with their day-to-day life and likes to relax at least for a while during weekends. People normally practice meditation in many forms. Normally, I used to practice Tai Chi and listen to Tibetan Incarnation for meditation. Since I was running out of time, I couldn’t give it a try for meditation while I was in Lumbini.

However, you can spot some of those meditation centers inside the premises of Lumbini, go give it a try for next to nothing. Meditation is a major component of Buddhism. Yes, you might have practiced meditation classes in your own country, with either a little success or a lot of failures.

Then we give up. But when you are in Lumbini, the birthplace of Lord Buddha, this is the best place to try meditation. To assist you, there are several meditation centers run by Buddhist Monks. You can room and board there, become a part of that community and immerse yourself.

With all these attractions of Lumbini, the destination is visited by thousands of Buddhists and Hindu devotees from all around the world along with historians and tourists interested in Buddhist religion and culture.

Apart from the structures, the Lumbini area is also famous for the wide array of bird species found in its farmland and reservoirs including the Sarus crane, Indian spotted eagle, gyps, owls, and other endangered animals too.

People interested in trekking can also take the Lumbini circuit tour to visit the 64 scattered archaeological sites in the area. The trip to the villages in the surrounding areas also lets one experience and understand the lifestyles of the diverse ethnic people as one goes to the villages and indulges in the everyday lives, culture, and customs of the warm and friendly people.

The trip to Lumbini is a complete package-combining nature with the culture and religion and warm hospitality of the people making it a truly peaceful and spiritual experience.

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• 05 May, 2023

A Complete Tour Guide to Lumbini – The Birthplace of Gautama Buddha

Lumbini, the birthplace of Gautama Buddha, has always been a place of pilgrimage for people from all across the world. This UNESCO World Heritage site is rich with elements ranging from elaborately curated monasteries bejeweled with ornaments from all across the world to historical inscriptions and ruins of the castle where Buddha grew up; Lumbini is a treasure trove for spiritual healing and a glance into the genesis of Buddhism across Asia.

Given that this historical gem is located in the southern region of Nepal, dominated by flatlands and luscious greenery, what better way to go around Lumbini than in the back of a rickshaw ? But more about this later…

Before we begin, here’s a little back story on Gautama Buddha.

Gautama Buddha, also known as Siddhartha Gautama, was a spiritual teacher and founder of Buddhism. He was born in the 5th century BCE in what is now Nepal, as the son of the King Śuddhodana. At a young age, he became disillusioned with the materialistic world and left his comfortable life to seek enlightenment.

For six years, Gautama traveled and studied with various spiritual teachers, but none of them could give him the answers he sought. Eventually, he sat down under a Bodhi tree and meditated until he achieved enlightenment. He became the Buddha, meaning “the awakened one.”

For the rest of his life, the Buddha traveled and taught his philosophy, which centered on the Four Noble Truths: the truth of suffering, the cause of suffering, the cessation of suffering, and the path to the cessation of suffering. He emphasized the importance of living a moral life, cultivating mindfulness and compassion, and letting go of attachment and desire.

The Buddha’s teachings spread throughout India and eventually reached other parts of Asia, becoming one of the world’s major religions. The Buddha passed away around the age of 80, having left a legacy of wisdom and compassion that continues to inspire millions of people around the world to this day.

Lumbini – An Introduction 

A common perception of Nepal is one of the hills and snow-capped mountains. However, Lumbini and its surroundings paint a different picture, one that is characterized by flat grasslands and green spaces. 

Lumbini, which was awarded the UNESCO World Heritage site in 1997, is among the holiest places for Buddhism, one of the World’s great religions. Siddhartha Gautama was born in the sacred gardens in Lumbini in 623 B.C.  

There are a number of structures within the archaeological conservation area, including the Maya Devi Temple remain, consisting of brick structures arranged in cross-walls dating back to the 3rd century BC to the present century, as well as a sandstone Ashoka pillar with Pali inscriptions in Brahmi.

Best time to visit Lumbini

Lumbini lies in the southern part of Nepal , with temperatures that rise to almost 40 degrees Celsius in the summer heat. The perfect time to visit this space and comfortably explore the monasteries would be April to May, October to November, or December to February, with temperatures from 12-28 degrees Celsius. 

Here is a brief run-down of all the things you can do to make the most out of your next trip to the sacred land of the Buddha – Lumbini .

Tour of the monasteries 

Lumbini has over 14 monasteries from countries that have a presence of Buddhism. They brought in raw materials from their own countries, building beautiful structures that each signify their cultures. Some of these stupas date back 2000 years!

The Monastic Site is divided into two sections – the Eastward section and the Western section, by a water canal that is often used by travelers to explore on boats. The eastward section is called the East Monastic Zone, where Theravada Buddhism is prevalent, and the westward zone is called the West Monastic Zone, where Vajrayana and Mahayana are predominant.

Monasteries in the Eastward section:

The royal thai monastery .

Perhaps one of the most popular monasteries here in Lumbini, the Royal Thai Monastery is an architectural gem. This gleaming center of attraction in the Eastern zone is built entirely with white marble, with subtle red accents across the monastery. The peaceful ambiance fits well with the perfectly white and clean exterior, making it one of the most picturesque spaces in Lumbini. 

Myanmar Monastery

Said to be the oldest structure among all the monasteries in Lumbini, the Myanmar monastery is built in stunning Burmese-style architecture. The impressive corn cob-shaped shikhara , styled after the temples of Bagan gives a regal look to the whole structure.

Cambodian Monastery 

The intricate details of the Cambodian monastery make it a sight to see in Lumbini. Made in the traditional style of Angkor Wat (a famous temple structure in Cambodia), the details in the carvings are like no other. 

Along with the exterior, the prayer hall inside has high ceilings filled with carvings of the life of Buddha. 

Monasteries in the Westward section : 

Singaporean monastery .

The monastery is a stunning example of traditional Singaporean architecture and is renowned for its beautiful gardens, intricate carvings, and a stunning array of lights that illuminates the temple at night, giving it its nickname ‘Temple of Thousand Lights’. The temple is designed to represent the harmony and unity of different cultures, with its intricate carvings showcasing influences from not just Singapore, but also Nepal, Thailand, and Sri Lanka.

French Monastery 

The French monastery, which lies right opposite the German monastery, is a very different experience from the others in the area. Built-in a simple style with monochromatic colors, it both blends in and stands out in the Western Zone. 

The inside of the French monastery is covered with red marble and granite, which gives a very serene and calming experience. 

German Monastery  

The German monastery, built by the Tara foundation, is a remarkable piece of architecture in the Western zone. Partly covered by glass, the exterior is covered with intricate designs. The garden surrounding the monastery has sculptures depicting various parts of Buddha’s life.

The prayer hall indoors is a massive setting filled with scriptures and souvenirs from across the world. The high ceilings are adorned with carvings depicting various Buddhist scriptures and illustrations. 

While there are many more monasteries on the premises, (some still under construction), they might be subject to closure or maintenance since the covid-19 lockdowns.

Maya Devi temple with Buddha’s footprints 

The Maya Devi temple is the heart of Lumbini, housing ruins of the castle where Gautamn Buddha grew up. Not only do they have a Nativity sculpture depicting how the birth of Siddhartha Gautam took place, but they have also pinpointed the exact birth spot where the Buddha took his first steps. The reason why this spot has so much significance is because it is told that Siddhartha Gautama took his first steps right after he was born.

People from across the world are known to visit Maya Devi temple to witness this marvel, and pray around the now preserved perfect foot step.

During his visit to Lumbini in 249 B.C., Emperor Asoka  built a platform using burnt bricks to safeguard the Marker Stone and the Nativity Tree under which Mayadevi had given birth to Prince Siddhartha. The present-day Maya Devi Temple was rebuilt in 2003 by Lumbini Development Trust. 

Ashoka Pillar

The Ashoka pillar was erected in the 3rd century and holds some of the oldest inscriptions in Nepal. Ashoka ruled over most of present-day India as head of the Mauryan Empire and erected a pillar on the premises of the Maya Devi temple, indicating the exact spot of the birth of Buddha.

Written in Brahmi script, the pillar’s inscription is said to be the oldest in Nepal and reads: “King Piyadasi (Ashoka), the beloved of Devas, in the 29th year of the coronation, made a visit to Lumbini and paid his homage. Realizing the Buddha was born here, a stone railing was built and a stone pillar erected. Because the Lord was born here, the Emperor had the people of Lumbini village freed from some tax and entitled them to the eighth part only.”

As present-day India was founded and expanded through violent and bloody conquest by Ashoka and his predecessors, it is said that Emperor Ashoka decided to convert to Buddhism and dedicate his life to non-violence. 

This 6-meter tall pink sandstone structure was rediscovered and restored by Nepalese archaeologists in 1896.

Eternal Flame  

The Eternal Flame is located on the southern end of the canal. This is a very popular attraction in Lumbini as it was created in 1986 to celebrate the international year of Peace. The flame was bought from the United States of America (USA) to promote peace and harmony among the nations as well as the global community.

Rickshaw tour across Lumbini

Rickshaws are one of the most commonly used modes of transport in Lumbini and its surrounding areas. Not only are these vehicles cheap and convenient, but also have a very eco-friendly approach to transportation.

Most of the monasteries and heritage sites in Lumbini can seem quite far from each other to travel solely on foot. For the best experience of Lumbini and its heritage sites, I’d recommend booking a rickshaw for the entire day. Their local knowledge and experience with travelers will help with finding the best routes for travel between sites. This also helps you connect and actually talk to locals, learning more about the culture and history of the place.

And what’s even better is that a rickshaw is cheaper and more environmentally friendly than hiring a car.

Additional activities 

Meditating with the monks.

Meditate in the spot where Buddha was born with other monks as you soak in the peace and calm of Lumbini. To learn more about various sacred spaces in Lumbini, check out our blog post on Mediation spaces in Lumbini .

Explore the local areas of Lumbini

Lumbini is much more than the monasteries and temples, as there are vast lands with local residents too. To get a different perspective of what life is like in the Southern part of Nepal, away from the Mountains Lumbini is the perfect place to be.

Boating on the central canal

You can enjoy a peaceful day boating in the central canal that leads you directly to the Maya Devi temple – a great way to travel across the sacred lands of Lumbini.

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ISSUE 8 | 2024

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Must-see attractions in Lumbini

Maya Devi Temple

The spiritual heart of Lumbini, Maya Devi Temple marks the spot where Queen Maya Devi gave birth to Siddhartha Gautama in around 563BC. In the adjoining…

World Peace Pagoda

Located outside the main compound, but easily accessible by bike, the impressive gleaming-white World Peace Pagoda, one of the world's greatest stupas,…

Cambodian Monastery

With strong touches of Angkor Wat, this colourful fantasy due for completion in 2018 is already one of the most fascinating temples in Lumbini. The temple…

Royal Thai Buddhist Monastery

Close to the north end of the pond, this stunning and imposing wat (Thai-style monastery) is built from gleaming white marble. The blue-roofed meditation…

Zhong Hua Chinese Buddhist Monastery

This elegant monastery is one of the most impressive structures at Lumbini. Reached through a gateway flanked by dogs of Fo, the elegant pagoda-style…

Myanmar Golden Temple

The Myanmar Golden Temple is one of the oldest structures in the compound. There are three prayer halls – the most impressive is topped by a corncob…

Korean Buddhist Temple

At the time of research, the government of South Korea was finishing up this massive temple. The interior is magnificent; you might find workers still…

Nepal Vajrayana Mahavihara Temple

This beautiful Newari temple with central courtyard was nearing completion at time of research.

Great Drigung Kagyud Lotus Stupa

This truly extravagant stupa, constructed by the German Tara Foundation, contains a hollow crown partly covered in glass, revealing a small Buddha within…

Thrangu Vajra Vidhya Monastery

This monastic temple funded by Canadians opened in 2014; 80% of the residents are nuns. The temple is noted for the nearly three thousand Buddha statues…

Drubgyud Chöling Gompa

This classic Tibetan-style gompa (Buddhist monastery) was built in 2001 by Buddhists from Singapore and Nepal. The mural work inside is quite refined…

Manang Samaj Stupa

This grand yet tasteful chörten (Tibetan reliquary stupa) was constructed by Buddhists from Manang in northern Nepal, but needs some work. There's a…

Lokamani Pula Pagoda

Located on the grounds of the Myanmar Golden Temple is this huge gilded stupa in the southern Burmese style, inspired by the Shwedagon Paya in Yangon.

Mother Temple of the Graduated Path to Enlightenment

The Austrian Geden International Foundation constructed this complex of stupas and monastery buildings, the latter in classical Greek style.

Sri Lankan Monastery

The grand and moated Sri Lankan Monastery contains elaborate and colourful murals depicting the life of Buddha.

About 29km west of Lumbini, Tilaurakot has been identified as the historical site of Kapilavastu, where Siddhartha Gautama spent the first 29 years of his…

Ashokan Pillar

The Indian emperor Ashoka visited Lumbini in 249 BC, leaving behind an inscribed sandstone pillar to commemorate the occasion. After being lost for…

Lumbini Crane Sanctuary

The wetlands surrounding the World Peace Pagoda are protected as a crane sanctuary and you stand a good chance of seeing rare sarus cranes stalking…

Lumbini Museum

Tucked away at the northern end of the compound, this museum is devoted to the life of the Buddha, with a nice collection of artefacts and photos from…

Vietnam Phat Quoc Tu Temple

Vietnam's contribution has a grand roof but one kitschy lawn: its fake mountains resemble a minigolf hole. The faded grandeur is also a reminder that…

Gold Buddha Statue

This large golden Buddha is the latest addition to the various monuments at the southern end of the central canal, joining the Eternal Flame and the…

Gautami Nun’s Temple

This modest building is the only monastery in the compound built solely for female devotees.

Tilaurakot Museum

This small museum at the final turn-off to the Tilaurakot archaeological site displays some of the artefacts found there. A new and larger museum building…

Eternal Flame

Located at the southern end of the canal, the Eternal Flame was created in 1986 to commemorate the International Year of Peace. It symbolises the undying…

Ceremonial Bell

Located near the southern end of the central canal, this large bell is dedicated to world peace.

The birthplace of Buddha

A temple marks the exact spot where Buddha was born more than 2500 years ago, starting the journey of a man who would change the world!

Written by Michael Turtle

Michael Turtle is the founder of Time Travel Turtle. A journalist for more than 20 years, he's been travelling the world since 2011.

Michael Turtle is the founder of Time Travel Turtle and has been travelling full time for a decade.

Updated: August 5, 2023

Lumbini, Nepal

Like many religious origin stories, the genesis of Buddhism starts with a baby. It’s said that from the moment of birth, this baby was destined to change the world.

The year was 623 BC and a pregnant Queen Mayadevi, the wife of a ruler of a kingdom in present-day Nepal, was walking back to her hometown to give birth.

But the baby came slightly sooner than expected and so, with a full moon in the night sky, she stopped under a sal tree and gave birth. Today, this place is called Lumbini.

According to the stories, as soon as the little boy was born, he walked seven steps to the north, looked around, and then announced that this would be his final rebirth.

Those seven steps were just the first of many important ones to come.

The baby boy was named Prince Siddhartha. He would be raised as royalty but eventually leave the palace in search of a deeper meaning to life.

Eventually, at the age of 35, Prince Siddhartha would find enlightenment. In this moment, he would become the Buddha   – and the founder of one of the world’s great religions.

It’s no wonder that Lumbini has become one of the most important pilgrimage sites in the world for Buddhists, representing the beginning of it all.

** Jump down to the best places to visit in Lumbini **

Understanding Buddhism

Buddhism is an interesting religion because, when compared to the other main faiths in the world, it has a big difference – it is based around a human and not a god.

Previously, I knew very little about Buddhism, so thinking more about this key difference was an important first step in my journey of understanding. And what better place than Lumbini to do this.

For religions like Christianity, Islam, or Hindu, there are deities at the core of the narrative. With Buddhism, it’s not about worshipping an omnipotent and omniscient god. It is much more about a way of living.

And this comes from Buddha himself.

He was not a god – and, in fact, he told his followers not to worship him. In many ways, he is best described as a philosopher or a prophet who preached about life in a way that captivated the souls of the people.

Now, we all know that when it comes to religions, there’s a decent mix of history and imagination in their foundational stories.

When it comes to Buddhism, there is much more factual history in the narrative than in other major faiths.

Let’s forget about some of the decoration that’s been added to the tales over the years – such as the baby Prince Siddhartha walking seven steps and declaring he won’t be reborn again. Most objective observers could probably agree that things like this are not factually accurate from a historical perspective.

But the majority of the life of Buddha, and hence the keystone of Buddhism, can easily be proved as historically true.

So, when you consider the impact he had on the people he met, we have to assume that his teachings were impressive, that he was able to inspire people enough to follow them.

We have to assume that, even is there was nothing divine about the Buddha, that he was one of the greatest thinkers of human history and his messages had a resonance that changed people’s lives.

It’s worth stressing that everything I’ve said is not to take away from the spiritual side of Buddhism and the aspects that are based more in faith than fact.

The point I’m trying to make is that Buddha is a part of world history, regardless of your belief system. And his teachings have universal relevance and are as relevant today as they were 2500 years ago.

Even one of the most important elements of the Buddhist faith, the enlightenment, can be looked at in two ways.

It could be an ethereal experience in which Prince Siddhartha passed into another plane. Or it could just be the time when finally he had clarity of thought and the maturation of his messages was complete.

Either way, it probably doesn’t matter. The story of Buddha is as relevant for one person as it is for another, regardless of how you approach it.

The history of Lumbini

Today, the site at Lumbini is a physical representation of the story of Buddhism. But it wasn’t always that way.

When Queen Mayadevi stopped here in 623 BC to give birth, there was nothing of significance here. And that’s fitting. There’s a purity and a cleanliness to the story that the boy who would become Buddha was not born in a house but beneath a tree, near a pond, under a full moon.

For many centuries after that, Lumbini remained relatively undeveloped.

The site was first officially declared the birthplace of Buddha in the 3 rd century BC by the great Indian emperor Ashoka. But, even then, it was only a limited number of temples and pagodas that were built here by worshippers.

Lumbini was apparently visited a lot by pilgrims in the Middle Ages and so more infrastructure was added – but it was mostly lost and covered by forest from the 15 th century onwards.

The site of Lumbini would only be ‘rediscovered’ by archaeologists at the end of the 19 th century.

Even then, This only changed very recently (in a relative sense), in 1978, when a new masterplan to develop the site was unveiled.

The idea to turn the Lumbini site into a new visitor experience was the result of a campaign by the then UN Secretary General U Thant, a Buddhist from Myanmar, who visited in 1967 and was shocked at how little care was being taken of the birthplace of Buddha.

The Lumbini Master Plan

What came out of the campaign by U Thant was the idea of a complete redevelopment of Lumbini. It led to a new master plan for the site developed by Japanese architect Kenzo Tange and approved in 1978.

This new design, still called the Lumbini Master Plan, is what you’ll find when you visit today – and it has a huge impact on the way you’ll experience the site. It’s laid out in a way that’s supposed to take you on your own spiritual journey.

The site is made up of three sections, each exactly a mile long. You’ll start in the first one, called the New Lumbini Village, which has tourist facilities like hotels, food stalls, shopping and a museum.

As you symbolically move from this area of ‘worldly activities’, you’ll go into the central area that represents knowledge and spiritual purification, called the Cultural and Monastic Zone.

You’ll need to travel the whole mile of this section by walking, bicycle, or boat down a canal. On either side, surrounded by forest, are the monasteries (that you can explore later).

Finally, you’ll arrive in the last section, the most sacred of them all – for it was here that Buddha was born. You’ll be able to see the marker stone and spend some time in the sacred garden.

Some visitors will come to Lumbini for an hour or so, see the main temple, and then leave. But there’s much more to the site than that. Spending time exploring the different areas, thinking about what they represent, connecting with the pilgrims who have come here – it’s what your Buddhist journey should be.

Places to visit in Lumbini

To give you an idea of the things you can do at Lumbini, I would like to offer a bit more information about the main sights.

Here are the main places to visit in Lumbini. I’ve put them on a map so you can see how it all fits together.

There is no wrong or right way to explore the area, but it was designed for you to slowly make your way south towards the Sacred Garden as the climax of the visit.

World Peace Pagoda

At the northernmost the site is the World Peace Pagoda. It was built by Japanese Buddhists as a symbol to unite humanity.

It’s an enormous pagoda that dazzles bright white in the sun.

True to the name, you’ll often find locals sitting peacefully in the park around it with a picnic. You can also climb up the stairs and walk around the upper level of the pagoda.

Crane Sanctuary

Next to the World Peace Pagoda is the Crane Sanctuary. This natural reserve has been put aside as a safe area for local birds, including the Saris Cranes.

The cranes are the tallest flying bird in the world and it’s estimated there are about 100 pairs living in the area. They are especially important in Lumbini because of the special link they have to the story of Buddha.

Lumbini Museum

I don’t think Lumbini is the kind of place you come to spend time in a museum. There are enough ‘real’ things to see in Lumbini without needing to spend too much time in a building.

Having said that, you may be interested in the Lumbini Museum in the village area. It has a small collection of artefacts and photos that tell you a bit more about the site and about some general Buddhist traditions.

Central Canal

The Central Canal runs down the middle of the Lumbini site and connects the village area to the Sacred Garden. Along its length, several small brick bridges cross the water.

One of the ways to get through this central section is to catch a boat along the canal. You’ll find drivers waiting at either end.

Otherwise, your other options are to walk along the side of the canal, which is designed to give the impression of a pilgrimage. Or you can cycle through one of the monastic zones on the sides of the site.

West Monastic Zone

Many of the visitors to Lumbini are not simply tourists, here to have a look around and take some photos. Most are true pilgrims, who have come from around the world to visit the birthplace of Buddha. To accommodate them, there are monasteries within the main site.

The monasteries are located in two zones, either side of the Central Canal. The West Monastic Zone is the larger of the two and has 14 monasteries. They are all followers of the Mahayana school of Buddhism.

Each monastery is different and almost all of them have been established by Buddhists from a particular country. It means you can find a wonderful collection of different architectural styles, capturing the whole world.

Most monasteries welcome guests and you can go in and look at the public areas. It’s worth going to as many as possible.

I would particularly recommend the Chinese Monastery, with a golden pagoda at the centre of a manicured garden; the South Korean Monastery, with it’s tall and colourful facade; and the Great Lotus Stupa (sponsored by Germany), with an intricately-painted interior and large garden.

East Monastic Zone

In the East Monastic Zone, there are only five monasteries but they are also worth visiting. These are all followers of the Theravada (Hinayana) school of Buddhism.

Because there are fewer buildings, the zone feels even more peaceful, with more forest between the different structures. If you’re getting around by bike (which is what I would recommend), part of the experience is cycling amongst the nature as you go between the monasteries.

One of the most impressive buildings of the whole Lumbini site is here on the eastern side – the Royal Thai Monastery, with gleaming white marble taking its inspiration from the grand wats of Thailand .

There’s also the Myanmar Golden Temple that is designed to look like the famous Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon , and the Sri Lanka Monastery that is spread over several levels and surrounded by a water feature.

Sacred Garden

At the heart of Lumbini is the Sacred Garden and it’s here that you’ll find the most important parts of the site. It’s said that this was the very spot where Queen Mayadevi gave birth to Prince Siddhartha in 623 BC.

When you go into the garden, you’ll immediately sense the gravity of where you are. Prayer flags hang between the trees and pilgrims sit underneath them in silent prayer.

The large Sacred Pond is the focal point of the garden and it’s said that this was where Queen Mayadevi had a bath before giving birth, and where she gave her son his first purification bath.

Another very important part of the Sacred Garden is the Ashoka Pillar. This was erected by the Indian Emperor Ashoka in 249 BC to commemorate his visit to Lumbini when he officially declared it to be the birthplace of Buddha.

Mayadevi Temple

But within the Sacred Garden, there is no part that is more significant than the Mayadevi Temple.

The large white temple building that you can see from the outside is actually a modern construction, having been built in 2003. It’s really only there to protect what is inside, and is not important on its own.

Inside is the actual Mayadevi Temple – or, at least, the archaeological remains of it. Experts say they’ve found evidence of a wooden building from the 6 th century BC, that would be the oldest Buddhist shrine in the world. The stone foundations you can see are from various reconstructions over the following centuries.

In the middle of the Mayadevi Temple is the Marker Stone, that shows the supposed exact spot of Buddha’s birth. In the same location is a stone carving of the nativity scene that was made in the 4 th century.

It’s when you arrive at the Marker Stone and take a moment to think about what it represents that you have reached the end of the physical journey that the architects of the Lumbini site designed.

But it is not supposed to be the end of your spiritual journey. Seeing these sites for yourself, allowing your mind to consider new teachings, having conversations with pilgrims or monks – this is how you make the most of a visit to Lumbini. And it’s something you can take away with you as well.

In my next post from Nepal, I’ll tell you a bit about the region around Lumbini, where you can continue your exploration of Buddhism. (Incidentally, there’s a very cool book if you would like to teach Buddhism for kids .)

There is a lot of history here, much of it related to Buddha’s life and his influence in the world in the few centuries after his death. It’s worth taking the time to see some of that too when you’re here.

This site is on the UNESCO World Heritage List ! I'm on a mission to visit as many World Heritage Sites as I can. Only about 800 more to go... eek!

More stories about Nepal

• The monkey temple of Kathmandu
• Visiting Buddha's birthplace
• Things to see around Lumbini

8 thoughts on “The birthplace of Buddha”

Now I feel regfret because not visit this place when I was in Nepal. Wathing all this, look like watching all over world in same place, alot os histroy also.

This is probably the best article on Buddha. Your article content history of Buddha that was exciting to read and a great experience to observe all those places where Budhha belongs too. It is the best article on Budhha. Great information

Great article!!! Keep posting such articles for travelers help. Really, Lumbini is a divine spiritual place which consisting of different world heritage sites.

Hi, Nice to see detail history of Lumbini the birth place of Lord Buddha with awesome pictures. Please visit Bhutan. Cheers Tshewang

thanks for sharing.. i think soon traveling to lumbini nepal

omg nepal is my favorite place..

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51 Best Things to Do in Lumbini

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Are you planning a trip to Lumbini, Nepal? Do you need help finding the best things to do in Lumbini ?

Lumbini is an important pilgrimage site that carries numerous historical, cultural, religious, and national values.  Lumbini is visited by numerous national and international tourist pilgrims who come to visit the birthplace of Lord Buddha. Lumbini is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site where you can observe a diverse range of ethnic communities sharing their rich history, culture, and traditions with the outside world.

Let’s explore the top 51 things to do in Lumbini, Nepal:

Table of Contents

Eternal Peace Flame

• Visit Buddha’s birthplace at Lumbini

Maya Devi Temple

Myanmar golden monastery.

• Lumbini Monastic Siter

World Peace Pagoda

Kudan stupa, visit royal thai monastery, have a look around at lumbini museum, explore pushkarni pool, drive to kapilvastu, visit ashoka pillar, dharma swami maharaja buddha vihar, visit china buddhist monastery, visit the famous cambodian monastery, stay at boudha maya gardens hotel, shopping in lumbini, dae sung shakya (korean temple), taste the local nepalese cuisines.

• Zhong Hua Chinese Buddhist Monastery<

Lumbini Hotel Kasai

Great drigung kagyud lotus stupa, go for rickshaw ride, explore gotihawa, visit sagarhawa, visit nilgihawa, lumbini hokke hotel, drive to araurakot.

• Village of Lori-Kudan

G.G. Café & Restaurant

Drubgyud chöling gompa, head to manang samaj stupa, lokamani pula pagoda, stroll around sri lankan monastery, german meditation centre, hotel lumbini garden new crystal, visit lumbini crane sanctuary, relax in lumbini invitation 365, meditate in vietnam phat quoc tu temple, visit gautami nun’s temple, lumbini city restaurant, walk around the iconic pilgrim’s market, lumbini village lodge, cycle through lumbini, watch farmers in paddy fields, lumbini ceremonial peace bell, pray at singapore monastery, explore linh son temple, pray at united tungram monastery, visit sokyo gompa.

Address : Lumbini Sanskritik 32914

Tourists spending their vacation in Lumbini would not want to miss out on the chance of seeing the intriguing ‘ Eternal Peace Flame ’, which fascinates the eyes of every first-time visitor. The Eternal Peace Flame is located at the center of Lumbini Garden and is certainly the most fascinating thing to do in Nepal .

Visit Buddha’s Birthplace at Lumbini

Photo Credit : Niraj Bhusal from Pixabay

There’s no place better than Lumbini city to can get insight into the early livelihood of Lord Buddha – the founder of Buddhism. Lumbini city is a magical place where you can find various significant historical and religious sites . Maya Devi Temple and Myanmar Golden Temple are beautiful places to visit. You can also find the famous World Peace pagoda and several other international monasteries in Lumbini city, making it the best thing to do in Lumbini.

Address : Taulihawa Road, Lumbini Sanskritik 32900

Maya Devi Temple is recognized throughout the world as the place where Queen Maya Devi gave birth to Gautama Buddha (the founder of Buddhism). For this reason, the Maya Devi Temple stands out as the spiritual heart of Lumbini next to a sacred pond called Pushkarni. Spending the day exploring the ancient ruins of temples and palaces around the holy Maya Devi Temple is rated by many visitors as the most popular thing in Lumbini.

After exploring touristic places around Lumbini, you can head to the Myanmar Golden Monastery . It is a place well-suited for people who want to immerse themselves in the cultural and spiritual vibe without going too far from the central touristic areas of Lumbini. Going here is a famous thing to do in Lumbini if you plan on spending a day with your family while admiring the impressive artwork.

Lumbini Monastic Site

Lumbini is not only famous for being the birthplace of Lord Buddha. There are several international Buddhist monasteries in Lumbini where you can get an understanding of the craftsmanship and architectural expertise of different countries. Visiting these monastic sites is an interesting thing to do in Lumbini as you can pray, study Buddhism and meditate here.

Photo Credit : Prasesh Shiwakoti (Lomash)  on  Unsplash

Showcasing the golden statue of Lord Buddha, the white-colored World Peace Pagoda is a beautiful place to visit in Lumbini. This pagoda was built by Japanese Buddhist monks with the hope of spreading love and peace among countries all over the world. So, if you want to get away from the crowd and get lost in a tranquil, peaceful atmosphere, then visiting the World Peace Pagoda is the best place to go in Lumbini, Nepal.

If you want to spend a day away from the central shrine areas of Lumbini, then you should consider taking a rickshaw ride to Kudan Stupa . Located about 4.5 kilometers south of Tilaurakot, Kudan Stupa is a beautiful place to visit. There’s a small pond nearby  Kudan Stupa and you can learn a great deal about the Lord Buddha here.

Located at the north end of Maya Devi Temple, the Royal Thai Monastery is a place of pure architectural brilliance where you can catch the sight of a blue-colored roof supported by a gleaming white marble. The Royal Thai Monastery is arguably the most eye-catching monastery in the Lumbini Monastic Compound. Visiting the monastery is ranked by many as a top thing to do in Lumbini.

Another major tourist attraction that is located at the northern end of the famous Maya Devi Temple is the iconic Lumbini Museum . A visit to Lumbini Museum is considered to be the best thing to do if you want to see some very important photos and artefacts from Buddhist monasteries all over the world. The housing area inside Lumbini Museum is dedicated to the life of Lord Buddha.

Pushkarni Pool is a holy religious Buddhist pilgrimage site and an interesting place to visit in Lumbini, Nepal. Located right in front of Maya Devi Temple, Pushkarni Pool is thought to be a bathing pool used by the king and queen. The overall natural beauty along with the shimmering heavenly waters of Pushkarni Pool attracts thousands of Buddhist pilgrims from all over the world.

Once you have finished exploring the popular touristic sites within Lumbini city, you should head out to Kapilvastu , which is only half an hour away. Kapilvastu was the capital of the Shakya kingdom and is most widely known as the place where Lord Buddha spent the first 29 years of his life. Visiting Kapilvastu is a famous thing to do in Lumbini as you get to see the ancient ruins of King Suddhodhana’s palace.

Whether you like learning about ancient religious history or not, a visit to Ashoka Pillar is definitely the best thing to do, as it holds the oldest known inscription found in Nepal. Ashoka Pillar was erected by Mauryan King Ashoka and has inscriptions on its exterior detailing the birth of Lord Buddha. The Indian emperor visited Lumbini during his reign in the 3 rd century BC.

Location : Outside the Lumbini Monastic Zone

Dharma Swami Maharaja Buddha Vihar is a beautifully constructed Tibetan-styled Gompa that can be found outside the main compound. Dharma Swami Maharaja Buddha Vihar has a large indoor hall, where Tara Puja is performed by the 60 Buddhist monks residing here. For those who want to see artistically painted Buddhism art, visiting Dharma Swami Maharaja Buddha Vihar is the best thing to do in Lumbini.

The China Buddhist Monastery is an exquisite Buddhist monastery that was created by the Buddhist Association of China in 2000 to promote Buddhism. Thousands of foreign tourists visit the Chinese Buddhist Monastery each year for its impressive architectural designs which highlight the key aspects of Chinese culture and art. For this reason, visiting the China Buddhist Monastery is listed as the top thing to do in Lumbini, Nepal.

One of the most famous places to visit is the Cambodian Monastery , which has been visited by huge numbers of foreign visitors. Its attention-grabbing colorful structure and art attract a lot of tourists who always seem to be fascinated by the intricate paintings of Lord Buddha. This whole monastery was completed in 2018.

Address : Lumbini sanskritik, Lumbini 32900

If you are searching for a hotel with comfortable rooms and air-conditioning, then you should consider staying at the Boudha Maya Garden Hotel which also offers a buffet service to its visitors. The hotel staff are very friendly and helpful. Boudha Maya Gardens Hotel is famous for its peaceful, serene natural surroundings.

Shopping is a wonderful thing to do in Lumbini as the whole Lumbini city is racked up with souvenir shops for foreign tourists from all categories like clothing, pottery, bracelets, books, paintings, carpets, musical instruments and more. With winding streets occupied by eye-catching shop outlets, you are sure to have a ton of fun shopping in Lumbini city.

All of the monasteries inside Lumbini have their own unique quirkiness made up of strong religious beliefs. Just like that, the feeling of excitement as you make your way into Dae Sung Shakya or Korean Temple is something that will brighten your whole day. Here, you can find many interesting things to do in Lumbini.

Nepal has some of the most mouth-watering local and national cuisines. Tasting the local Nepalese cuisine is an immersing experience, which allows you to enjoy the best of what Nepal has to offer. Trying local dishes, like Dal Bhat Tarkari, Mo:Mo, thukpa, thenduk, sukuti, lapfhing, and many other traditional Nepalese cuisines is a top thing to do in Lumbini.

Zhong Hua Chinese Buddhist Monastery

With its impressive architectural design and intricate wall paintings, Zhong Hua Chinese Buddhist Monastery has now become a very popular place to visit. Zhong Hua Chinese Buddhist Monastery is built in pagoda-style, which makes it look like the incredible Forbidden City. This elegant monastery has a brilliantly trimmed peaceful inner courtyard.

Address : Lumbini Sacred Garden | P.O.BOX 65, Lumbini, Nepal, Lumbini Sanskritik 32900

Lumbini Hotel Kasai is a Japanese-run management hotel with a peaceful and engaging surroundings. Visitors can get comfy inside their surprisingly lavish rooms with eye-catching décor. The hotel is well-maintained and is located in the heart of the jungle, so you will be able to experience the wilderness while staying here. Most of the tourist attraction sites are located close to Lumbini Hotel Kasai.

Location : Inside the Lumbini Monastic Zone

Constructed by the German Tara Foundation, the Great Drigung Kagyud Lotus Stupa is a truly extravagant stupa that has a miniature version of Lord Buddha. Most of the people visiting the Great Drigung Kagyud Lotus Stupa are awe-struck by the colorful Buddhist murals which are painted on the domed ceiling of its main prayer room. Praying in the Great Drigung Kagyud Lotus Stupa is a top thing to do in Lumbini.

Many foreign travelers have come to acknowledge the fact that Lumbini is one of the most happening cities in the world as there’s always something fun and exciting things to do in Lumbini. Among those things, going for a rickshaw ride is a popular means of traveling around, while getting a deep insight into the daily livelihood of the local Nepalese people living in Lumbini.

Address : southwest from Taulihawa

About four miles southwest from the market places of Taulihawa lies the village of Gotihawa, which is often suggested to have been the natal town of Krakuchhanda Buddha, the fourth human Buddha. The ruins of the ancient habitations, stupas, and monasteries are located in the area of Gotihawa. The most popular attraction is the pillar of Asoka. In the course of his holy pilgrimage, Emperor Asoka came to this place.

Nearly six miles to the north of Taulihwa there is a forest area. In the forest exists a big rectangular tank, locally known as Sagarhawa. Structural remains of as many as seventeen ancient stupas and large monuments were found. Burnt bricks with full-blossomed lotus designs and figures of bows, arrows, axes, hatches, clubs, tridents, etc. imprinted upon them, were found. For this reason, visiting Sagarhawa is considered to be an interesting thing to do in Lumbini.

Location : North of Taulihawa Bazaar

Nilgihawa is a small remote Nepalese village located north of  Taulihawa Bazaar. Often identified as the ancient town of ‘Shekhawati, where Kanakmuni Buddha is believed to have been born. Visiting Nilgihawa is a famous thing to do in Lumbini, Nepal because it was the natal town of Kanakmuni Buddha . Today,  a short distance from the village of Niglihawa stands a pillar to the West of the big tank, locally known as Niglisagar.

If you want to enjoy a splendid time in a hotel with peaceful sprawling lawns and gardens, then consider staying at Lumbini Hokke Hotel which is famous for its excellent customer service and food. Here you can book spacious rooms with private bathrooms at an affordable price. Lumbini Hokke Hotel is located very close to most of the popular touristic places of Lumbini.

Araurakot is located nearly 6 miles northeast of Tilaurakot. It contains a rectangular area with mounds of ancient ruins making it a top place to visit. You can identify the remains of an ancient fortress together with a palace. The remains of the brick walls of the fort can be seen on the east and the south and give an indication of how well built this fort was.

Village of  Lori-Kudan

Location : Southwest of Taulihawa

The village of Kudan or Lori-Kudan is situated nearly one and a half miles southwest of Taulihawa. Visiting the village of Lori-Kudan is a famous thing to do in Lumbini as you can find huge structural ruins, which appear to have been the wreckage of stupas and monasteries. They are suggested to have been the remains of Nigrodharam, where king Suddhodana met Buddha. You will also find Kasaya stupa here, which is where the kasaya or the yellow robe was handed over to the Buddha by Queen Prajapati.

The region of Tilaurakot is situated on the eastern bank of the River Banganga, immediately north of Taulihawa. The whole region of  Tilaurakot has lots of ancient ruins of stupas, monasteries, temples, other monuments, and ancient habitations. So, visiting it is considered to be a top thing to do in Lumbini.

Address : Lumbini Sanskritik 32900

Offering some of the best quality and most hygienic food, the G.G. Café & Restaurant stands as a top place to go for reasonably priced food and drinks. The G.G. Café & Restaurant is located 5 minutes away from the birthplace of Lord Buddha , so if you are hungry and want to have some Thai dishes, then you should totally consider visiting G.G. Café & Restaurant.

For those who want to spend more time exploring a Buddhist monument heritage site, visiting the famed Drubgyud Chöling Gompa is a popular thing to do in Lumbini. This classic Tibetan-style gompa (Buddhist monastery) was built in 2001 by Buddhists from Singapore and Nepal. The mural work inside is quite refined. There is also a gigantic, spiralling golden stupa next door.

Do you want to get insight into Tibetan architecture and Buddhism during your stay in Lumbini? Then, consider visiting the lovely Manang Samaj Stupa , which is a beautiful place to visit in Lumbini, Nepal. This grand yet tasteful chörten (Tibetan reliquary stupa) was constructed by Buddhists from Manang in northern Nepal. There’s a golden buddha statue inside that is surrounded by colorful murals.

Located on the grounds of the Myanmar Golden Temple is the huge gilded stupa called Lokamai Pula Pagoda. It was built in the southern Burmese style and inspired by the Shwedagon Paya in Yangon. So, if you want to see how Burmese architecture and design look,  then a visit to Lokamani Pula Pagoda is a top thing to do in Lumbini as you get to observe the intricate and brilliant architectural designs of the Burmese culture.

Strolling around the Sri Lankan Monastery is considered to be a popular thing to do as many foreign tourists come here to see the vibrant presentation of colorful murals and wall paintings depicting the entire life of Lord Buddha. The grand and moated Sri Lankan Monastery is mostly famous for its elaborate and flamboyant murals depicting the life of Buddha.

Visiting the German Meditation Centre is a top thing to do in Lumbini as you get to practice yoga and do some meditation. There’s a large open complex inside the German Meditation Centre, which offers you the opportunity to loosen up your exhausted muscles with some much-needed yoga sessions.

Address : Buddhanagar, Mahilwar, Rupandehi, Lumbini Sanskritik

Hotel Lumbini Garden New Crystal is a very famous luxury hotel in Lumbini city. It is located conveniently across from Lumbini Garden and offers high-quality food & accommodation services to its customers with neat & modern rooms. Hotel Lumbini Garden New Crystal has a large beautiful garden and a parking area for big tourist buses and SUVs.

The wetlands surrounding the World Peace Pagoda are called the ‘ Lumbini Crane Sanctuary ’. Visiting is one of the best things to do in Lumbini as you stand a good chance of seeing rare sarus cranes stalking through the fields, as well as the large, antelope-like blue bull. The entrance is on the right just before the gate of the pagoda. Follow the path to the watchtower for excellent views over the wetlands.

Address : Vishnupura Rd, lumbini bazar, Lumbini 32900

Foreign tourists love this popular little restaurant for its outdoor umbrellas and wide-ranging menu, including burgers, pancakes, momos, and the usual thali. Relaxing at Lumbini Invitation 365 is ranked by many tourists as the top thing to do in Lumbini, Nepal. The entrepreneurial owners are branching into budget accommodation with a new guest house coming soon. You can get rooms costing from Rs 1000 to Rs 1200 per night.

Phat Quoc Tu Temple has become a popular tourist attraction for foreigners wanting to spend their time inside a peaceful environment. Vietnam Phat Quoc Tu Temple has a grand roof and fake mountains that resemble a mini-golf course. Meditating in Vietnam’s Phat Quoc Tu Temple is a popular thing to do in Lumbini.

Gautami Nun’s Temple is a modest-looking building and is the only monastery in the entire compound built solely for female devotees. Most people rush through Lumbini, allowing only a few hours to look around. You can easily spend one or two days exploring the zone and its monasteries, soaking up the peaceful atmosphere.

Address : lumbini sanskritik, Lumbini Sanskritik 32900

If you are searching for the best restaurant in Lumbini to eat some mouthwatering Nepalese dishes , then you should consider visiting the lovely Lumbini City Restaurant. Lumbini City Restaurant offers reliable food and drinks services to its customers without making them wait for a long period of time. Its staff members are also very reliable and friendly.

Pilgrim’s Market is the best place to visit in Lumbini, Nepal if you want to find and buy an inexpensive (often plastic) souvenir. Located near the main entrance, the Pilgrim’s Market is simply a very long row of shops selling  Buddhist items. It’s a major tourist attraction site in Lumbini and not going there will be a lost opportunity.

Address : Lumbini Bazaar, Madhubani, 32900

Located close to the entrance gate of Lumbini Garden , the popular Lumbini Village Lodge is a top place to stay and spend the night. It has a nice common space for walking and having breakfast. The staff are nice and friendly and you can also rent bikes from the hotel to do some cycling around Lumbini.

Renting a bike and exploring the streets of Lumbini city is a fun thing to do in Lumbini as it allows you to have a look around Lumbini city without paying for bus/taxi rides. Cycling through Lumbini is also probably the best way to keep yourself active and fit while vacationing.

If you have loads of free time, but nothing much to do, then consider exploring the outskirts of Lumbini city where herds of farmers come to cultivate their crops and take care of the fields. Watching farmers in the paddy fields is an interesting thing to do as it gives you time to view the daily life of another culture.

The Lumbini Ceremonial Peace Bell arrived in Nepal during a time of change and new direction. It was donated to the Lumbini Development Trust which manages the Lumbini Sacred Garden. In honor of the Kingdom of Nepal and on behalf of the Tibetans full of faith in Dharma, the Lumbini Ceremonial Peace Bell was dedicated as a symbol of peace. Visiting it is a popular thing to do in Lumbini, Nepal.

There are 32 international Buddhist monasteries in Lumbini city and most of them were built by Asian countries. Amongst them is the beautifully designed Singapore Monastery , which attracts thousands of foreign travelers each year. It is located in the west monastic zone. Praying here is the top thing to do in Lumbini. The Singapore Monastery was initially built with a hope to propagate Buddhism and the teaching of Lord Buddha.

Linh Son Temple is another important Buddhist shrine inside the monastic zone. A visit to Linh Son Temple is a popular thing to do for those who don’t want to miss the opportunity of learning Buddhist teachings from holy Buddhist monks. Linh Son Temple has eye-catching roof designs with outer gates and walls surrounding it from all sides.

The entire Lumbini Monastic Zone is filled with an enchanting display of Buddhist monasteries and pagodas from several countries all over the world. The United Tungram Monastery has spectacular murals and wall decor that showcase the significance of Buddhist teachings in one’s life.

Sokyo Gompa is a masterfully designed Buddhist gompa in Lumbini city nearby Maya Devi Temple. Upon visiting Sokyo Gompa, you will be able to spend your time in a peaceful environment while watching Buddhist monks praying inside the gompa. Also, the walls and pillars of Sokyo Gompa are decorated with paintings depicting the life of Lord Buddha. For this reason, visiting Sokyo Gompa is listed as a famous thing to do in Lumbini.

Besides Lumbini, if you want to explore other amazing cities of Nepal, visit here to learn about the highlights of Kathmandu , best of Chitwan and cool things to do in Pokhara .

If you are a trek lover, Nepal also offers several thrilling long and short trekking opportunities . Some of the most trekked routes in Nepal are Everest trekking , Everest Base camp trek , Annapurna base camp , Annapurna circuit , Annapurna Sanctuary , Langtang trekking , Makalu base camp and Manaslu Trekking . There are several local trekking companies in Nepal who operates these treks.

Do you love adventures?You can enjoy many types of amazing adventures in Nepal such as white-water farting , Bungee Jumping, Zip Lining, Mountain biking in the hills , river rafting , paragliding and so on.

Apart from adventure activities and trekking, you can also join some mesmerizing tour opportunities in Nepal. You can explore and experience the Nepalese cultures , traditions, nature, wildlife , spirituality , vibrant cities , Mount Kailash and Heli tours with some of the best rated tours and travel companies in Nepal .

If you love to do selfless work to make someone’s life better, Nepal is a wonderful place to do volunteering. Some of the best opportunities to volunteer in Nepal are volunteer teaching English , orphanage volunteer program , medical volunteer program and monastery teaching volunteer program .

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Top 12 things to do while visiting Lumbini in Nepal

Lumbini, located in Nepal, is a significant pilgrimage site for Buddhists as it is the birthplace of Lord Buddha. Besides its religious importance, Lumbini also offers several attractions and activities for visitors.

When visiting Lumbini, Nepal, there are several things you can do to make the most of your trip. Here are some popular activities and attractions to consider:

Table of Contents

1. visit the maya devi temple:.

Explore the sacred temple that marks the exact birthplace of Gautama Buddha. Inside the temple, you can see the Nativity Stone and experience the spiritual ambiance.

2. Explore the Sacred Garden:

Take a stroll through the beautifully landscaped gardens surrounding the Maya Devi Temple. This area is dotted with monasteries, stupas, and Bodhi trees, representing different Buddhist traditions from around the world.

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The Sacred Garden is the main attraction in Lumbini and the birthplace of Lord Buddha. Explore the beautiful gardens, ancient ruins, and monasteries within the premises. Don’t miss the Ashoka Pillar, which marks the spot where Lord Buddha was born.

3. Visit the Ashoka Pillar:

Located nearby, the Ashoka Pillar is a tall column erected by Emperor Ashoka in the 3rd century BCE. The pillar bears an inscription declaring Lumbini as Buddha’s birthplace and serves as a historical landmark.

4. Discover Monasteries:

Lumbini is home to monasteries built by various Buddhist communities from different countries. Explore these monasteries to learn about different Buddhist traditions, architecture, and art.

Take a walk and experience the diverse architecture, art, and traditions represented in each monastery. Some notable monasteries include the Maya Devi Temple, the Thai Monastery, and the Chinese Monastery.

5. Meditate and Reflect:

Lumbini is an excellent place for meditation and inner reflection. Find a peaceful spot in the gardens, or visit one of the meditation centers in the area to experience moments of tranquility and spirituality.

It is a serene and peaceful place, making it ideal for meditation and self-reflection. Find a peaceful spot in the Sacred Garden or one of the monasteries to practice mindfulness and connect with your inner self.

6. Attend Puja Ceremonies:

If you get the chance, participate in puja ceremonies held in the temples and monasteries. These ceremonies involve chanting, prayers, and offerings, providing a deeper insight into the religious practices of Buddhism.

7. Explore the Lumbini Museum:

Located within the Lumbini Development Trust compound, the museum showcases artifacts and exhibits related to Buddhism, Buddhist art, and the historical significance of Lumbini.

Learn more about the history and significance of Lumbini at the Lumbini Museum. The museum exhibits ancient artifacts, sculptures, and images related to Lord Buddha and Buddhism.

8. Take a Bicycle Tour:

Rent a bicycle and explore the surroundings of Lumbini. You can pedal through rural villages, visit nearby archaeological sites, and get a glimpse of the local way of life.

Lumbini and its surrounding areas offer scenic countryside landscapes. Rent a bicycle and explore the nearby villages, fields, and local markets. It’s a great way to immerse yourself in the local culture and witness the rural lifestyle.

9. Visit Tilaurakot:

Located around 27 kilometers from Lumbini, Tilaurakot is an ancient fortified city associated with the early life of Prince Siddhartha, who later became Buddha. Explore the ruins and learn about the historical significance of this place.

It is believed to be the ancient capital of Kapilavastu, where Lord Buddha spent his early years. Explore the archaeological site, ruins of palaces, and gain insights into the life of Lord Buddha.

10. Experience Cultural Performances:

During various festivals and special occasions, Lumbini hosts cultural performances and events showcasing the rich heritage and traditions of Nepal. These events can be a great way to immerse yourself in the local culture.

11. Experience the Eternal Peace Flame:

The Eternal Peace Flame symbolizes peace and harmony. It was lit in Lumbini by the United Nations to promote world peace. Witness the flickering flame and take a moment to absorb its significance.

12. Attend a spiritual ceremony:

If you visit during a Buddhist festival or special event, you may have the opportunity to witness spiritual ceremonies and rituals. These events offer a glimpse into Buddhist traditions and provide a unique cultural experience.

Remember to dress modestly and respectfully, as Lumbini is a religious site. It’s also a good idea to hire a local guide who can provide insightful information and enrich your visit to this sacred place.

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Places to visit in Lumbini

Bathe in the peaceful atmosphere that surrounds Lumbini, the physical representation of the story of Buddhism with its temples, pagodas, shrines and monasteries. Like most religions, the origin of Buddhism begins with the birth of a baby and Lumbini is the birthplace of Siddhartha Gautam buddha. This historic city dates back to 623 BC from when it became a popular pilgrimage site. Its numerous idols, and stupa are a favorite for historically inclined tourists and Buddhist devotees.

Located in the Tarrai belt of the Kapilvastu District, Lumbini is a place of revered tradition and worship for centuries with ancient and modern monuments depicting the Buddhas journey to enlightenment. Lumbini promises a life changing spiritual experience combining nature, culture, religion and heartfelt hospitality, visitors here are taken through a religious journey of sorts from the New Lumbini village to the marker stone in the main temple.

The Lumbini circuit trek is a spectacular experience for adventurers with its 64 scattered archeological sites; a treasure hunt through jungle and ethnic diversity. Along the way can see the Sarus crane, Indian Spotted eagle, gyps, Owls among other creatures native to Nepal. Listed as A UNESCO World Heritage Cultural Site, its history and culture traces back to the origins of Hindu and Buddhist religions. Purely a monastic zone where recreational structures are forbidden, Lumbini is separated into Theravadin monasteries to the eastern zone, Mahayana and Vajrayana monasteries on the western Zone. Some of the best places to visit in Lumbini are;

The Maya Devi Temple

The birthplace of Siddhartha Gautam buddha and a major highlight of Lumbini’s exotic cultural heritage. This whitewashed temple surrounds the exact spot of buddhas birth marked by a marker stone. The famous Bodhi tree has hundreds of colorful prayer flags lined along its sides adding spectacle to its heart-shaped leaves representing Buddhas path to enlightenment.

This bodhi tree is where around 563 BC pregnant queen, Maya Devi on her way back to her hometown, rested and went into unexpected labor and gave birth to Siddhartha Gautam buddha. She dipped in the nearby Maya-Devi pond which is also believed to be where Buddha took his first bath. This sacred pool Pushkarini also has a sacred garden beside it.

The Maya Devi is a UNESCO World Heritage site with continuous developments that compel one to plan a revisit. Designed by Japanese architect Kenzo Tange in 1978, it features landscaped lakes and a host of monasteries as works of architects from all over. All of the monuments and temples were unscathed by the 2015 earthquake.

Ashokan Pillar

A 6-metre-tall sandstone structure Built during 249 BC when emperor Ashoka of India visited Lumbini and was rediscovered by Nepalese archaeologists in 1896. The emperor also built four stupas and a pillar with a horse Idol at the top. The inscription on the pillar is among the oldest inscriptions ever, detailing his visit and recognition of Lumbini as the birthplace of Lord Buddha. The pillar is surrounded by a small fence decorated with colorful prayer flags and bowls for lighting incense sticks and meditating.

Myanmar Golden Temple

One of the oldest structures in the complex with three prayer halls. This Burmese style pagoda resembles the Shwe-dagon pagoda of Yangon with tis golden corn-cob styled Shikhara. The temple is dedicated to lord Buddha and inside it, you will find the Lokamani Pula Pagoda. The blend of white and gold in the temple creates a divine atmosphere that blends with the serenity of the surroundings. A must-stop for visitors.

World Peace Pagoda

The Japan Peace Stupa is located Just outside main area, built by the Japanese for $1 million. It houses the statue of lord buddha in the position he took during birth. This glistening white structure with golden statue is a rising attraction of Lumbini and a reflection of how deep the roots of Buddhism go.

Dharma swami Maharaja Buddha Vihar

A Tibetan-styled Buddhist Gompa outside the complex built by His Eminence Chogya Trichen Ringboche and Raja of Mustang. The Gompa belongs to the Sakyapa order. This site has a kind of ambience and quiet that soothes the soul. Its quiet stature and towering design remind visitors of the spiritual energy that resides within. For meditation experts and beginners, the monks who are residents here conduct Tara Puja every day-something you’ll want to witness.

Lumbini Museum

Built in the 1970s and reimagined by architect Kris Yao from Taiwan, the museum is dedicated to the life Gautam Buddha and its houses photos and artifacts from Buddhist sites all over the world. Its priced possessions include over 10,000 artifacts like religious manuscripts, metal sculptures, Terra cottas, Maurya and Khusana dynasty coins plus stamps depicting Lumbini. For historical enthusiasts, the Lumbini International Research Institute just opposite the museum provides research facilities into Buddhism and the origins of religion.

These lone meadows are the location of Kpilvastu’s remains. Tilaurakot is considered as the place where Lord Gautama Buddha spent 29years of his life in luxury and royalty before he renounced it and walked out of the eastern gate. Listed as a UNESCO tentative site, Tilaurakot features exposed ruins of what looks like a residential complex. Its unearthing is a significant tribute to the historical life of Gautama Buddha. Found on the banks of Banaganga Rice, it even has a museum housing artifact found during the excavation-a trip through Buddhism.

International Monasteries and Temples

Nepal is a revered space of Buddhist religion and Lumbini is a testament to its international relations. Lumbini hosts seven international monasteries and temples built by other nations, a gesture showcasing the tight-knit affair that is Buddhism across the Asiatic nations. they include;

• Korean Temple (Dae Sung Shakya)
• China Temple (Zhong Hua Chinese Buddhist Monastery)
• Cambodian Monastery
• Sri Lankan Monastery
• Vietnam Phat Quoc Tu Temple
• Great Drigung Lotus Stupa

Lumbini Crane Sanctuary

Just a few moments next to the world peace pagoda, the crane sanctuary sits sprawling over 6sq. kilometers of marshes, jungle and plush open fields. The sanctuary is a natural reserve set aside for the local birds including the Saris Cranes. Cranes are a significant part of the Buddhism history and culture and the about 100 pairs found in the sanctuary offer a different perspective to the ancient beauty that surrounds Lumbini.

Central Canal

This quaint splendor runs down the middle of the Lumbini site connecting the village area to the sacred garden. It is lined with several brick bridges to help visitors cross the water. You can catch a canal or boat to get through the central section. If you walk along its sides, you can feel the impression of what it’s like during a pilgrimage.

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Places To Visit In Lumbini

Lumbini is the most sacred place in the world for Buddhist followers. Known as the birthplace of the Gautama Buddha , Lumbini is a place to visit for the world, not just for Buddhist Pilgrims.

Located in the southern plainlands of Nepal, Lumbini is Nepal’s one of the busiest tourist places. Over 1 million people visit the spiritual sites of beautiful places every year. In this blog, you will find all the best places to visit in Lumbini. It will help you choose the places to visit.

First and Foremost, you should not or will not miss Maya Devi Temple if you ever visit Lumbini. Maya Devi Temple is the temple that is believed to be the exact spot of the Gautama Buddha’s birth. The area is such a serene place. A sacred pond, the historical Ashoka Pillar, and a sacred garden enchant the site.

Apart from Maya Devi Temple, there is Lumbini Crane Sanctuary , the home of endangered cranes and other birds. The World Peace Stupa, one of the 80 Peace stupas in the world , is inside the Lumbini complex. Also, Lumbini Museum , a museum presenting Buddha’s chronology and teaching, is inside the park.

Altogether, there are over 30 monasteries in the great Lumbini area. Each of the monasteries is unique from the others. We can see monasteries built by the Buddhist organizations of various countries like Germany, Canada, Myanmar, Cambodia, Singapore, etc. Walking in such a park gives you an impression of different architecture and art.

In a nutshell, Lumbini is a must-visit place if you treasure history, spirituality, architecture, and religion. There are many places to visit in Lumbini, which can leave you moved.

The major ones are explained below after a quick read about Lumbini.

About Lumbini

Lumbini, Buddha’s birthplace, is located in the Rupandehi district of the southern plainlands of Nepal. Around 566 BCE, Buddha was born to King Suddhodhana and Queen Maya in this very place.

Lumbini is one of the most sacred sites in the world for anyone who believes in religion, especially Buddhist pilgrimages. It was enlisted as a world heritage site in 1997 by UNESCO.

The whole area of temples and shrines is known as the Lumbini Complex. The historical and religious complex is scattered with old temples, gompas, monasteries, and shrines funded by various countries’ Buddhist organizations. Temples from different country organizations surround it, and Maya Devi Temple, Buddha’s exact birthplace, is the complex’s heart.

Some significant monasteries in the Lumbini area are the Royal Thai Monastery, the Golden Temple of Myanmar, the Canadian Monastery, the Singapore Monastery, the Chinese Monastery, and the German Monastery . Maya Devi Temple is the main temple of the entire site. It has the old Maya Devi Temple, a sacred pond, an ancient Ashoka Pillar, and a sacred garden.

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What are the best places to visit in lumbini, maya devi temple.

Maya Devi Temple is the crux of Lumbini. Believed to be the site of Gautama Buddha’s Birth, Maya Devi Temple is one of the holiest shrines for Buddhists.

It is named after the mother of Buddha, Queen Maya Devi. The temple houses ancient stone remains, Buddha & Queen Maya Devi’s old pictures, and the birth spot marker stone.

There is a sacred pond by the temple where Queen Maya Devi washed herself before giving birth to Buddha. The temple lies in the middle of a heavenly garden. Ancient ruins, temples, Bodhi Trees, temples, and prayer flags make the park a spiritual place. The entire complex area that houses Maya Devi Temple, the pond, and the garden is a UNESCO heritage site. You simply cannot miss this place.

Lumbini Museum

Lumbini Museum is another must-visit place in Lumbini residing in the Lumbini complex, a UNESCO-listed site. The museum preserves Lumbini’s rich history and heritage and Buddha’s legends.

If you step inside this museum, you will see the collection of exhibits, photographs, and artifacts that show Buddha’s life and preaching. There are, in total, three galleries that present different aspects of Buddhism. Lumbini Museum is an epicenter of history and culture. A walk into this museum is worth exploring.

World Peace Stupa

It is one of the best places to visit in Lumbini, the World Peace Stupa made by the Japanese Buddhist Organization in 2001. The Buddhist monument spreads the message of peace and concord among all the people in the world. The world peace stupa is one of the 80 pagodas made by the same organization worldwide.

The monument is a white dome-like structure decorated with Buddhist symbols and paintings of Buddha. Four small stupas made in different styles and resembling unique meanings circle the stupa. The stupa’s central part is Buddha’s golden statue in a meditative posture. It also offers a fantastic panorama of surrounding greenery and area. If you visit Lumbini, World Peace Stupa should be on your list.

Lumbini Crane Sanctuary

Lumbini Crane Sanctuary is yet another place you cannot miss while in Lumbini. Located nearby Lumbini Complex, the sanctuary is a wetland area of around 4.6 square kilometers. The site safeguards the Sarus Crane and other habitats.

The sanctuary comprises ponds, marshes, and wetlands. These conditions favor the Sarus Crane and other species in the area. Not just Sarus Crane, we can view storks, pond herons, and other water birds. If you love bird watching, nature walks, and photography, Lumbini Crane Sanctuary is the best site in Lumbini.

International Monasteries and Buddhist Shrines

Lumbini Complex is a 4.8km long compound full of monasteries and shrines. Maya Devi Temple, World Peace Stupa, and Lumbini Museum are in the same complex. Apart from these three sites, you can wander around monasteries of different styles, architecture, and meanings.

The complex is full of nothing but shrines. You can visit the Royal Thai Monastery, German Monastery, South Korean Monastery, Austrian Monastery, Cambodian Monastery, Canadian Monastery, or Golden Temple of Myanmar. It takes a whole day or more to explore each of the sites. The architectures are different, but the vibes are the same. It is peace and spirituality.

What do people also ask for?

Lumbini is one of the major travel destinations in Nepal. Over a million people visit every year. People have queries of all kinds. Here are some of the frequently asked questions about Lumbini:

What is Lumbini famous for?

Lumbini is famous as the birthplace of Buddha. Maya Devi Temple, the exact birth spot, is a significant pilgrimage for Buddhists. People from other religions also visit the place.

Why do tourists Visit Lumbini?

The place is the birthplace of Gautama Buddha , the founder of Buddhism. Hence, people around the globe come to Lumbini to see religious and unique places.

What time to visit Lumbini?

The best time to visit Lumbini is around April and May. Buddha Jayanti, the birthday of Buddha, lies in the season. It is celebrated grandly every year. You get to experience such a great occasion. Otherwise, you can visit Lumbini all year round.

Which temple is famous in Lumbini?

Maya Devi Temple is the most famous temple in Lumbini. The temple is considered the exact birth spot of Buddha. There is the birth spot mark of Buddha, old remnants of the palace, and ancient inscriptions inside the temple. Likewise, a sacred pond, Ashoka Pillar, and a sacred garden are outside of it.

What to buy in Lumbini, Nepal?

You will find many souvenir shops in Lumbini. The best things to buy from Lumbini ar e Thangka paintings, pashmina, singing bowls, traditional jewelry, statues , etc.

How many days are enough for Lumbini?

If you only want to visit the Maya Devi Temple area, 4-5 hours are enough . Otherwise, you will need two days to see all the temples that are in the complex.

How many temples are there in Lumbini?

Currently, there are 32 monasteries in the Lumbini Master Plan area . One is at the New Lumbini village area, two at the sacred garden, and 29 are at the monastic zone of the Lumbini Complex.

What religions visit Lumbini?

Buddhist pilgrimages mostly visit the place. However, the site is open to all and has no restrictions . All religions see Lumbini.

How many tourists visit Lumbini?

Around 1-2 million people visit Lumbini every year from all parts of the world. The inflow was plunged due to COVID-19. However, it is returning to its average.

What is the entry fee at Lumbini?

NPR 200 for foreign nationals , NPR 100 for SAARC Nationals , and NRS 20 for Nepalese. Likewise, the fee to enter Lumbini Museum for foreign citizens is NPR 50, SAARC nationals 50, and NPR 10 for locals . Apart from that, all other sites in Lumbini have free entries.

How far is Lumbini to Kathmandu?

Lumbini is precisely 255 km away from Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, and 127 KM from Pokhara.

How to get from Kathmandu to Lumbini?

You can take a highway bus drive or flight to reach Lumbini from Kathmandu. The drive is around 8 hours long . At the same time, the flight duration is only 35 minutes.

Is Lumbini worth it?

Lumbini is entirely worth it if you want to see the birthplace of Buddha. The temples and monasteries inside the area are worth exploring. The Lumbini visit is worth it if you seek a peaceful and spiritual time.

About Author

Ashish Niraula is a seasoned trekker and professional tour consultant based in the country of the Himalayas. He has over seven years of hands-on experience in the sector, which has helped fortify his knowledge and expertise to craft the most iconic and memorable adventure packages in the Himalayas. Ashish’s passion for traveling and the unwavering drive that always pushes him toward excellency, have helped him earn a reputation as a trustworthy advisor in the tourism sector. As a traveling enthusiast, Ashish has explored all the major trekking routes of Nepal. With years of experience exploring the mystical Himalayas and professional engagement in the field, Ashish honed his skills to design the most iconic adventure experiences in the Himalayas that cater to the adventure palate of every traveler. From organizing the challenging treks to the rugged Himalayas with incredible thrills to facilitating culturally immersive experiences across the traditional settlements in the country, Ashish’s commitment to excellence shines through every aspect of his work.

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Nepal itinerary 7 days with lumbini visit, amazing nepal tour package with paragliding and jungle safari, panorama of north including nepal tour, lumbini & kathmandu tour package, lumbini travel essentials.

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"Birthplace of Lord Buddha"

Lumbini tourism.

Nestled in the Himalayas in Nepal,  the beautiful town of Lumbini is the birthplace of Lord Buddha. Lumbini is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with many ancient stupas dating back to 2000 years and monasteries built by past dynasties. People come here from all over the world to this abode of Buddhism to study scriptures, meditate, practice yoga, trek, learn more about Buddhism and find inner peace. 'Lumbini' literally means 'The Lovely' in Sanskrit, and true to its name it stands!

The entire site is decked up with prayer flags that have blessings and incantations upon them, which have been put up by thousands of tourists. Each of the monasteries here is architecturally distinctive, with beautiful façades and paintings. China, Japan, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Germany, France and other countries have their monasteries here in Lumbini. Avid trekkers can do the Lumbini Circuit Trek and witness 64 historical and archaeological sites around the area, including visits to villages where one can get an authentic experience of the local culture and hospitality. The Mayadevi Temple is the most important and sacred site in the area - it houses the actual spot where Lord Buddha was born, to Queen Mayadevi, the wife of King Suddhodana of Kapilavastu. A stone marker can identify the birth spot. Other nearby significant attractions are the Bodhi Tree in Lumbini Garden, the Pushkarini - Sacred Pond and the Ashoka Stupa (Pillar), which was built in 249 B.C. 

Places To Visit In Lumbini

Maya Devi Temple

Bodhi Tree, Lumbini

Mayadevi Pond

Ashoka Pillar, Lumbini

World Peace Pagoda Lumbini

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Things to keep in mind.

• Lots of trinkets, prayer flags and religious paraphernalia are for sale near the entrance to the complex, including Buddha snowglobes and stickers. A couple of shops in the village near the bus stop stock more of the same plus a bit more.
• There is only one bank in Lumbini which has an ATM. It is advisable to exchange the currency beforehand at the border itself.
• Cover your legs and shoulders and remove footwear before entering places of worship.
• While exploring the sacred sites, circumambulate the stupas and other sacred objects in a clockwise direction.
• Do not climb onto statues or other sacred objects.
• Being a very religious place, you won't find any nightlife. There are only a couple of shops where you can find alcohol. Else, even restaurants dont serve them.
• In some places, photography is prohibited, so keep that in mind before whipping out your camera.

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12 Places in Lumbini That You Must Not Miss (2024)

Globally famous for being the birthplace of Lord Buddha, Lumbini is one of Nepal’s most important tourist destinations. While exploring this country, you will find the most important historical sites in Lumbini. That is why it is quite natural that most of the sightseeing spots in this town are historical and spiritual in nature. Most of the monasteries and buildings in Lumbini were constructed more than 2000 years ago. In case you are a lover of archaeology and religion, you will find this city fascinating. Due to the plethora of heritage buildings and sites, the entire town has been listed under UNESCO World Heritage Site.

For the Buddhist community, Lumbini holds a more profound significance. As we have mentioned earlier, this city is famous for being the Lord Buddha’s birthplace of Gautam Buddha . At the time of Lord Buddha’s birth, this site was known as Kapilavastu. Apart from the said facts, Gautam Buddha decided to leave his life of luxury and pursue a life of enlightenment in Lumbini. Buddhists across the world visit this site throughout the year. Even though most tourists visit Lumbini to witness Nepal’s rich history and spirituality, its scenic view is also breathtakingly amazing. There are many treks available from this town that allow you to explore its archaeological and scenic sites. King Ashoka always constructed different important Buddhist relics and architecture in Lumbini. Places like Ashoka Stupa, Mayadevi Temple, and others are a few of the city’s must-visit sites.

Reaching Lumbini is relatively easy. The nearest airport from this town is the Bhairawaha airport. You will have to get on a flight from the Tribhuvan airport in Kathmandu to access this airport. If you want to save money, you can take the road to get there. The distance between Kathmandu and Lumbini is 265 km. So, it would take you around seven and a half hours to get there. Although the journey might make you feel tired, you will get to complete your trip well under budget. In this blog, we will try to mention the best places to visit in Lumbini in detail. Keep on reading to get a lot of important information regarding this enchanting town.

12 Places in Lumbini That You Must Not Miss

The following sites are integral to the history, culture, and tourism of Nepal. While exploring Lumbini, you should try to explore at least some of them.

1. Bodhi Tree

Located inside the complex of the sacred Maya Devi temple, the Bodhi Tree is one of the most important things to the Buddhist people in the world. Immensely holy for being the tree where Lord Buddha attained enlightenment in this life, this tree is believed to be too sacred. It is thought to Gautam Buddha got liberated from his life consisting of anger, delusions, indulgence, and luxury by meditating under this tree.

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Not only Buddhist people but also for everyone, this tree signifies the underlying strength of being a human. This tree makes people realize that there is more to life than material happiness. The scenic view surrounding this tree is quite calming. The Maya Devi pond is situated right beside it. As the Bodhi tree is decorated with prayer flags, its entire ambiance is quite vibrant.

Address:  Mayadevi Temple Road 16, Lumbini Sanskritik 32900, Nepal.

2. Ashokan Pillar

Among all the Ashokan Pillars that can be seen globally, the one in Lumbini is the most famous. As it adheres with the oldest inscription, its significance is much higher than the rest of them. Constructed in the 3rd century, this ancient structure is located inside the Maya Devi temple’s complex. King Ashoka built this pillar to pay tribute to Lord Buddha.

He decided to erect this pillar in Lumbini after visiting the town for the first time. As the height of this construction is 6 meters, you will be able to notice it from a far-off distance. For many centuries, this pillar was hidden from the outside world. It was not until 1896 that a Nepalese rediscovered it.

Address:  Lumbini, Nepal.

3. Lumbini Monastic Site

One of the world’s best sites to understand the teaching of Lord Buddha is the Lumbini Monastic Site. In this area, you will learn about the insights that Gautam Buddha had about human existence. There are many monasteries constructed in this area where you will get to know about Buddhism in detail.

From Theravada Buddhism to Vajrayana and Mahayana Buddhism, the different monasteries in Lumbini Monastic Site has a lot to offer. Apart from the teachings, the entire site is terrific. With a serene atmosphere, and beautifully landscaped gardens devoid of Western influence and commercialization, Lumbini Monastic Site is a great place to get some introspection.

4. Maya Devi Temple

Famously listed under the UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the Maya Devi is undoubtedly one of Nepal’s most prestigious sites. Constructed in 1978 by a famous Japanese architect, Kenzo Tange, the Maya Devi temple has a tremendous significance to the world’s Buddhist community. The site of this temple’s construction is famous for being the exact birthplace of Lord Buddha.

Gautam Buddha’s mother, Maya Devi, gave birth to him in this complex in 563 BC. At that time, the site was completely different. To commemorate the sanctity of this site, the Maya Devi temple was created in Lumbini. Inside this temple complex, other monasteries and artificial lakes have also been built.

Address:  Taulihawa Road, Lumbini Sanskritik 32900, Nepal.

Entry Timings:  6 am to 6 pm.

5. Lumbini Museum

With a glorious display of around 12000 artifacts, the Lumbini Museum is one of the best places to see in Lumbini. The artifacts that can be witnessed in this extensively managed site belong mostly to the Kushana and Maurya dynasties. By visiting this site, you will get to see ancient coins, manuscripts, stamps, terra cotta figurines, etc.

The Lumbini museum was constructed in 1970 by a Taiwanese architect named Kris Yao. Apart from the content of this site, its exterior design is also outstanding. You will see the Taiwanese influence in this museum’s architecture quite vividly. The area surrounding this museum is also quite beautiful. It is a great place to learn about the history of Lumbini genuinely.

Address:  Lumbini Sanskritik 32914, Nepal.

6. Sri Lankan Monastery

The Sri Lankan Monastery, or the Sri Lankan temple, is one of the most beautiful and vital establishments in Lumbini. Throughout this monastery, you will find a lot of information regarding Buddhist practices and their importance. If you are lucky, you might get to participate in certain celebrations associated with this site. By visiting this site, you will get a peek into the life of Lord Buddha.

You will understand the evolution of Gautam Buddha’s teaching with time in the Sri Lankan Monastery. This site’s architecture makes it quite different from the traditional Buddhist monasteries that can be seen in Nepal or India. One of the primary reasons for this monasteries construction is to develop camaraderie among India and Nepal.

7. World Peace Pagoda

Constructed by spending US $1 million, the World Peace Pagoda is one of Nepal’s many peace pagodas. The Lumbini Peace Pagoda is exceptionally extravagant and alluring. Built to promote peace between India and Japan, this structure is quite famous among tourists. The milky-white color of this majestic building makes it quite eye-catching and picturesque. While exploring the pagoda, you will notice the marvelous golden Buddhist statue.

There are two flights of stairs that you will have to climb to see this statue. After climbing the stairs, you will also get a panoramic view of the surroundings by encircling the surrounding dome.

8. Maya Devi Pond

The Maya Devi Pond is one of the most notable sites in Lumbini. According to popular belief, Lord Buddha’s mother, Maya Devi, used to bathe in this waterbody. This Pond is commonly known as Pushkarini and has been maintained with utmost care throughout several centuries. The Pond is surrounded by a beautifully landscaped garden where tourists love to click pictures. It is believed some parts of this garden date back to the 3rd century BC.

This Pond’s importance is so tremendous to the Buddhist community that the Maya Devi temple was built surrounding it. It is also believed that Gautam Buddha was born at the exact spot surrounding this Pond. The Ashoka Pillar is also located pretty close to the Maya Devi Pond.

9. Cambodia Monastery

One of the most vibrant and exotic structures in Lumbini is certainly the Cambodia monastery. This site’s architecture is remarkably similar to that of the Angkor Wat in Cambodia. You will find the Cambodia monastery in the Monastic zone of Lumbini. While exploring this structure, you will notice the beautiful carving of dragons, snakes, and flowers in a myriad of colors.

The most prominent carving in this temple is the green snakes that are more than 50 meters in length. By visiting this monastery, you will get a glimpse into Cambodian Buddhism and witness one of the most beautiful architectures in Nepal.

10. Sacred Garden

The Sacred Garden is the site that binds the entirety of Lumbini quite spectacularly. Surrounded by the Maya Devi Pond and Ashokan Pillar, this garden is one of the mostly-visited sites in Lumbini. As this spot is considered the place where Lord Buddha was born, Nepal’s government maintains it with utmost diligence.

Apart from the Pond and the Ashokan pillar, this garden also contains the famous Bodhi tree where Gautam Buddha attained enlightenment. The colorful flags decorating the park make it even more picturesque and vibrant.

11. Lumbini Crane Sanctuary

Located pretty close to World Peace Pagoda, the Lumbini Crane Sanctuary is one of the most quaint sites of Lumbini. Created to offer habitat to cranes, this region is quite popular among tourists due to its scenic beauty and overall ambiance. While exploring the sanctuary, you will notice different Sarus and grey cranes, herons, and other birds that make the surrounding immensely beautiful.

Surrounding this park, there are some local villages. If you get some time, do not forget to explore these villages. By visiting there, you will get a peek into the life of rural Nepal quite quickly.

Address:  World Peace Pagoda, Lumbini, Nepal.

12. Tilaurakot

Tilaurakot is another sacred Buddhist site in Lumbini where tourists from all around the world flock around. Situated 24 km from Lumbini, this region is famous for being the site where Lord Buddha spent a long period of his life. It is believed Gautam Buddha stayed in Tilaukot for 29 years of his life in this region. Right now, almost the entire area is in ruins, but some evidence has been found that indicates the presence of a residential complex out there.

It is believed that the palace where Gautam Buddha lived was located in Tilaurakot. He left his life of luxury to become Lord Buddha.

Address:  Tilaurakot, Nepal.

All the sites mentioned in this blog are the most important sites of Lumbini. They hold tremendous significance to not only the history of Nepal but also of Lumbini. By visiting these places, you will genuinely get to know Lord Buddha and his teachings more closely. If you are a Buddhist, the trip to Lumbini will be one of the most significant journeys of your life. Even if you are not a Buddhist, these sites’ rich history and beautiful architecture will please and captivate you. Before visiting Lumbini, you must remember to cover your shoulders and legs while entering all the religious places. Also, never wear your footwear while entering the temples and monasteries in Lumbini.

Even though the summers are pretty hot in Lumbini, April and May are the best time to visit there. Buddha Jayanti is celebrated in a majestic way in this town, and that is why visiting Lumbini during these months will be a great way to know the Buddhist culture for you.

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Lumbini Travel Tips – Honest Tips for Visiting the Birthplace of Buddha!

By: Author Sophie Pearce

Posted on Last updated: August 17, 2023

Categories LUMBINI , NEPAL

This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy for details.

Lumbini is famous in Nepal for being the birthplace of Buddha. Thousands of pilgrims visit here every year to worship, meditate and learn at the site.

Throughout the years, the temple complex has grown from just one temple to commemorate the birthplace, to a whole monastic complex with beautiful Buddhist temples which have been donated from around the world!

Personally, I found Lumbini to be quite perplexing.

There were all these great temples on the one side and then a terrible underfunded city on the other. So, it was great to visit the temples but not a fantastic place for tourists and travellers who want to visit there.

I wouldn’t say I regretted my time there as I found the temples to be stunning, but I definitely wouldn’t spend more than one night in the future.

As a result, I wanted to put down all my experiences and so I have created some honest Lumbini travel tips which will help other travellers when visiting Lumbini!

Make sure you save these Lumbini travel tips for later!

1. you can only get here by local bus.

Unfortunately, local buses are the only way to get to Lumbini.

Even though they are called ‘tourist’ buses, none of them have A/C and they’re a pretty hot and dreary ride.

From Chitwan , we had to catch one 4 hours bumpy bus to Bhairahawa and then a local bus to Lumbini.

The local bus was pretty chaotic and most of the people were standing or sitting on the floor. But, it was dirt cheap and only 30 minutes so it’s tolerable.

You’ll get dropped off at the Lumbini ‘Bus Stand’ which is just a stop on the road when you arrive.

2. Be careful when getting a rickshaw to your hotel

Once you get off the bus there will be a crowd of rickshaw drivers waiting for you. It’s worth checking the distance to your hotel before you board one.

I stupidly agreed to a 100 rupee fare to go 500m down the road! A walkable distance.

In the end, I negotiated it into a rickshaw tour for the next day but still, don’t expect them to be honest about the distances!

To be fair, if you can’t stand the heat, a rickshaw is a good idea if you have a lot of luggage. But it’s good to try and save some pennies, or at least negotiate him down!

I was just so hot and delirious after my journey I lost the will haha.

3. Hotels are terrible! Stay in a monastery if you can

If you want a bit of entertainment before you get to Lumbini it’s worth checking out some of the hotel reviews in the area on Booking.com . They are all pretty terrible.

Although the reviews were also bad, I got lucky with Hotel Peace Palace . It was spartan but clean and had good air con!

The rate was super expensive though and they charge way more than it’s worth.

If you’re running out of options, check the dates rates here.

A lot of backpackers we met were staying in the monasteries around the area.

For only $5USD a night, they had a bed in a dorm, a shared bathroom, and 3 meals of Dhal bat a day!

SO much better than eating outside (which I’ll cover below). This is what I would do next time. My hotel was nice enough but the value for money wasn’t.

4. Rickshaws are a good way to get around… but haggle

As mentioned above, it’s good to note that Tuk Tuk drivers are pretty cutthroat around here.

They will charge you double for almost everything. For a half-day rickshaw guide, we negotiated 800 rupees.

But, by the end, after I had heard all his stories about his son needing medical treatment and a lady from France who took pity on him and have him a lakh (100,000 Indian rupees but not sure if it’s true). I felt bad and bumped it up to 1000 rupees.

Sure, it may not be much extra, but, he did rip me off, to begin with, and I wasn’t sure what to trust.

Prices should be 800 Nepalese rupees for a half-day tour of 4 hours. For a full day, it’s around 1500 NPR.

5. The only things to see here are temples

Keep in mind that it’s only temples to see here. So, for some, this may be your worst nightmare!

Personally, I love exploring temples, seeing the pilgrims visiting, and observing all the life and architecture inside so I thought it was time well spent.

The birthplace of Buddha is an absolute must but after that, you can pick and choose what temples you want to visit.

The Buddhist temples here are donated from all over Asia and it’s spectacular to see all the different styles of design.

You can see Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, China, Japan, and South Korea all in one day – no flights or Visas required ;)

There are also temples donated from France and Germany which have a Buddhist influence.

6. Start your tour early to beat the heat!

When I visited in October, it was absolutely boiling. I couldn’t believe the humidity compared to the rest of Nepal!

This is partly because we were now out of the mountains and heading into the border of India.

To beat the heat I would recommend leaving your hotel at 7 am.

That way you can beat the harsh temperatures and avoid burning your feet.

Most temples require you to take off your shoes and so the floor is like lava by midday!

7. You have to take off your shoes… A LOT.

Every temple in Lumbini requires you to take your shoes off when entering. So, I’d wear flip-flops, sandals, or something you can easily slide on and off.

It can get little tiresome untying shoes and taking socks off all the time.

Some places have mats that have been wetted down to cool the floor for visitors, but some, like the peace pagoda, do not have this luxury.

You’ll be walking on bricks and stones which have been baked in the sun!

I’d bring socks with you if you have sensitive feet, but check if it’s permitted before entering.

8. The temples are not open all day

I was surprised to learn that the temples shut at lunchtime. I guess I just presumed it was a 24 hours a day for worship kind of place.

Saying this, I think it is open for worship but just not for tourists.

The birthplace of Buddha opens from 5 am – 7 pm and is open all day.

The other temples are open from 7 am – 1 pm and then reopen after lunch at 2/3 pm until 5 pm.

Keep this in mind if you’re just visiting for half a day as you may be waiting around.

9. The only temple that costs money is the birthplace of Buddha

The birthplace of Buddha is a UNESCO world heritage site and is the only temple that charges for entry here and it’s worth the price.

Tickets are 200 rupees for foreigners and 50 for SAARC countries. All the rest of the temples are completely free!

10. All the restaurants are pretty bad (that’s not an exaggeration)

If you google Tripadvisor restaurants in Lumbini , there are 5 in total. All have reviews of inedible food and bad hygiene.

I was suspicious and did wonder if it was all true but when I sampled the food myself, it was really bad!

My hotel served up a Thukpa with ants swimming in it. So, we headed out to the main bazaar to have a look at alternative restaurants.

We asked some locals whether they knew of any nice places to eat and they said there weren’t any, Haha!

So, we headed to the one with the least bad reviews which was Third Vision restaurant .

This is the only place I would recommend eating. The Nepalese food was just okay and we were joined by flies for dinner.

But, on the positive side, it was food and it didn’t make us sick! We only ate hereafter that but there are some other options you can gamble with.

11. There are SO many bugs at night and will join you for dinner !

Whether it’s the heat or the fact it’s in a remote location after sunset all the bugs come out to play.

They will literally nose dive into your face, crawl in your hair and join you for dinner!

Third Vision did have an indoor section to stop some flying in with the fan on which helped.

My hotel room had air conditioning and a mosquito lamp which helped with the room itself but the bathroom had a vent with holes which let in flies and spiders!

By the end of my stay my bathroom sink and the floor were full of them.. wear decent bug spray and watch out for them on your toothbrush. Ewww!

12. Dress conservatively

Lumbini is a religious pilgrimage site and so you should dress appropriately for visiting the temples and around the people that visit them.

This means shoulders and knees should be covered for both men and women! If you don’t do this, you could be refused entry to the temples.

13. Not all the temples are finished yet

Lumbini is a huge complex and some of the temples are still under construction.

For example, the Cambodian temple is partly finished and won’t be completed until mid-2018.

But, it’s still beautiful and worth a look outside at the progress!

Our guide told us that there are going to be far more temples built here in the future.

Only half of the Cambodian temple was painted, half was under construction! Still beautiful though :)

14. Consider cycling around

A rickshaw was great as the heat was pretty hard to handle. Plus, it covered more ground in a short amount of time.

But, cycling also is a great alternative. This way, you can take your time to explore, plan your own itinerary and not feel rushed by your rickshaw driver.

Keep in mind that the temples shut halfway through the day so you may want to split your ride between the morning and afternoon.

15. Go to the peace pagoda for sunset

Although this peace pagoda in Lumbini isn’t placed on a vantage point like others in Nepal, this one is still a beauty.

At sunset, the floor has cooled down and the sun creates a gorgeous orange glow against the white temple.

Here, you may see Buddhist pilgrims circling and chanting and people meditating.

It’s definitely worth a look at any time of day but my favourite was when the sun goes down.

16. Don’t spend longer than one night here

After you’ve seen the temples which only takes a morning, there is literally nothing else to do here.

So, I would recommend not spending more than one night unless you really want to.

The hotels and restaurants are too terrible to bear longer than that!!

The only reason why I stayed longer than one night was because I wanted to get through the Indian border early in the morning and get a bus to Varanasi. It couldn’t come sooner.

17. Ask if the price is in Nepalese rupees or Indian rupees

As you are so close to the Indian border, Nepalese and Indian rupee are accepted in Lumbini and both have very different exchange rates (well to the British Pound anyway)!

Make sure you clarify how much everything is before you pay and in what rupee.

It may be worth downloading a conversion app to check what price it is for your currency.

ATMs will only distribute Nepalese rupees, but there are currency converters in the main bazaar if you need Indian money.

Read more about Nepal

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A Quick Travel Guide to Lumbini: The Birthplace of Buddha

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Your travel guide to Pokhara in Nepal

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Save these Lumbini travel tips for later!

Forevere Trek Nepal

Monday 22nd of July 2019

Thank you so much for such a good article. It was very helpful and informative too.

Sandeep Malla

Tuesday 13th of November 2018

Hi Sophie,I absolutely love your blogging which you had shared your real experience.I reckon that you had visited Lumbini in off-season.The best season to visit there is from end of November to end of February because at that time there starts winter season which make tolerable weather.Unlike Kathmandu and Pokhara, Lumbini is located in Teria region closed to Indian border so there is hot weather mostly.Regarding the bus,I guess you had travel in mini bus.If you want travel in Delux bus which has AC,charger,water facility,Wifi and so on then you have to travel at night because they usually run at night time.However traveling fair is quite high.As you mentioned that there is nothing except visiting temples thats true as it is Holy place. However you can go night club but for this you have to visit Butwal city for which it takes 45 min from Bhairahawa city(Lumbini area). Please do not expect expect big night club like in those Kathmandu as these city are small and less density population area.Similarly for accommodation, there are different range of hotel from 5 star to local cheapest hotel.As there is saying you get what you pay for so service depend on your pay.I admit that there is bumpy and dusty road as there is under construction of road to extend there length.However to eliminate this you can travel by domestic airway.Moreover if you want save your time and money asked for lift to local people(for nepali only) whenever you see single rider as they love to give you ride and want interact with foreigner.

Sophie Pearce

Tuesday 20th of November 2018

Hi Sandeep, thanks for the comments. I did indeed go in the off season but I would say that Lumbini would always be the same experience whether you went in the on/off season. It's a religious site and not necessarily set up for tourism (just yet). I feel a lot needs to be done in terms of funding the infrastructure of the city itself to make it a more accessible place for tourists. Good tip about the club but 45 mins is quite a long excursion and the transport options are limited. Sophie x

Nepal Car Rent

Wednesday 10th of October 2018

Lumbini is always a great place to travel . Travel to Lumibini to with VEhicles Rental NEPAL

Saturday 29th of September 2018

Thanks for these tips Sophie. My wife is Buddhist and this would be a good visit for a day from our Kathmandu visit.

Ah it’s definitely the place to go if you’re Buddhist ! The temples there are incredible! Thanks for reading and enjoy the trip. Sophie x

Sunday 3rd of June 2018

The birthplace of Buddha.. Always wanting to be there

It was an incredible visit! Thanks for reading. Sophie x

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Step into the enchanting realm of Lumbini, a place where history, spirituality, and culture converge to create an experience that's both profound and captivating. 15 Most Famous Places To Visit In Lumbini , often referred to as the birthplace of Lord Buddha, holds a unique position in the hearts of millions around the world. In this guide, we'll walk you through the myriad of places to visit in Lumbini, each one offering a glimpse into its remarkable heritage and spiritual significance. Join us on this journey of discovery, where the past meets the present, and find out why Lumbini is a destination that truly deserves its place on your travel bucket list.

Imagine standing before the sacred Maya Devi Temple, where Lord Buddha was born, a place that has drawn pilgrims for centuries. Or exploring the tranquil Lumbini Gardens, where enlightenment blossomed. 15 Most Famous Places To Visit In Lumbini These places are special because they hold the very essence of Buddhism and offer a unique glimpse into the life and teachings of Buddha. Ready to explore the roots of serenity and wisdom in the heart of Lumbini World Heritage?

List Of 15 Best Places To Visit In Lumbini | Buddhist Bliss

Are you prepared to uncover the treasures of Lumbini, the birthplace of Buddha? We're here to guide you through the 15 must-visit places in Lumbini that will enrich your experience and deepen your understanding of this sacred destination.15 Most Famous Places To Visit In Lumbini  Get ready to explore, learn, and be inspired as we introduce you to the essence of Lumbini's heritage and serenity.

• Maya Devi Temple | Sanctum of Serenity
• Lumbini Gardens | Tranquil Oasis
• Myanmar Golden Temple | Golden Splendor
• China Temple | Zen Elegance
• Vietnam Phat Quoc Tu Temple | Lotus of Enlightenment
• Royal Thai Monastery | Thai Tranquility
• Korean Temple | Harmony Haven
• Cambodian Monastery | Khmer Serenity
• German Monastery | German Retreat
• Austrian Monastery | Austrian Peace Haven
• Nepalese Monastery | Nepali Tranquillity
• Dae Sung Shakya Temple | Temple of Enlightenment
• Lumbini International Research Institute | Hub of Wisdom
• Ashoka Pillar | Pillar of Peace
• World Peace Pagoda | Global Harmony Shrine

1. Maya Devi Temple | Sanctum of Serenity

Step into the sacred realm of Maya Devi Temple in Lumbini, where history whispers its secrets and spirituality lingers in the air. The temple cradles the exact spot where Queen Maya Devi gave birth to Siddhartha Gautama, who later became Buddha. This profound historical significance will fill you with awe and wonder. The temple's exquisite archaeological exhibits showcase ancient relics and artefacts, offering a captivating glimpse into the past.

Nearby Tourist Spots:

• Lumbini Museum
• Kapilvastu Museum

Best Things to Do:

• Meditate and reflect
• Explore the historical artefacts
• Attend prayer and meditation sessions

Location: within the vicinity of Lumbini.

2. Lumbini Gardens | Tranquil Oasis

As you wander through this sacred garden in Lumbini, you'll find yourself immersed in an atmosphere that encourages introspection and meditation. With its vast expanse and peaceful environment, Lumbini Gardens provides an ideal setting for visitors seeking solace and a deeper connection to their inner selves. What sets this place apart are the ancient Bodhi trees that line its pathways, offering shade and a sense of spiritual connection.

• Lumbini Crane Sanctuary
• Lumbini Village

Best Things To Do:

• Birdwatching
• Visit local villages
• Explore natural surroundings

Location: within a distance of 0.5 km from Lumbini city.

3. Myanmar Golden Temple | Golden Splendor

As you explore the mystical grounds of Myanmar Golden Temple during your Buddhist pilgrimage to Lumbini, you'll discover two remarkable features that make this place truly stand out. Firstly, the temple's resplendent golden architecture gleams brilliantly under the sun, casting a radiant aura that captivates all who visit. Secondly, the temple is home to a remarkable replica of the sacred Bodhi Tree, the very tree under which Lord Buddha attained enlightenment.

• Explore historical artefacts
• Learn about Buddhist heritage

Location: within a distance of 1 km from Lumbini city.

4. China Temple | Zen Elegance

The China Temple stands out as a remarkable gem among the Lumbini historical sites. With its intricate architecture and placid atmosphere, it's a place you shouldn't miss. The temple's stunning pagoda design, which symbolises deep spiritual meaning, and its peaceful gardens offer a respite from the busy world. Visiting China Temple grants you a chance to connect with the spiritual side of Lumbini.

• Explore local villages
• Meditate and find tranquillity

5. Vietnam Phat Quoc Tu Temple | Lotus of Enlightenment

This temple beckons you with its intricate architecture and the soothing hum of prayer chants. The ornate, dragon-shaped entrance gate, which symbolises power and protection and the temple's vividly painted interior, filled with vibrant hues, narrate ancient stories. Visitors flock here not just for its artistic charm but also to witness the harmonious blend of Vietnamese Buddhism and the quiet setting.

• Maya Devi Temple Garden
• Visit sacred gardens

6. Royal Thai Monastery | Thai Tranquility

This place offers a unique opportunity to explore the rich traditions of Thailand amidst the peaceful atmosphere of Lumbini. As you wander through its ornate architecture and lush gardens, you'll find the Monastery's intricate Thai design is a true work of art, showcasing the country's craftsmanship and dedication to beauty. You can also partake in meditation and mindfulness sessions, allowing you to find inner peace in the heart of the Lumbini monasteries.

• World Peace Pagoda
• Explore local culture

7. Korean Temple | Harmony Haven

When you step into the Korean Temple in Lumbini, you'll find a peaceful oasis that offers a chance to connect with your inner self. You can engage in Zen meditation, learning the art of mindfulness and finding serenity amidst the temple's surroundings. The temple's traditional architecture is a testament to Korean Buddhist practices, providing a unique insight into their rich culture and heritage.

• Meditate and find inner peace

8. Cambodian Monastery | Khmer Serenity

This soothing sanctuary beckons you with its graceful Khmer architecture, offering a glimpse into Cambodia's rich Buddhist heritage. You'll be captivated by the intricate carvings adorning its facade and the peaceful atmosphere within its sacred halls. It's a unique chance to immerse yourself in Cambodian-style meditation and gain insights into their spiritual practices.

• Visit the ancient stupa
• Explore the nearby village
• Enjoy river views

9. German Monastery | German Retreat

As you stroll through Lumbini, make sure to explore the German Monastery, an intriguing place that offers a glimpse into German Buddhist culture. The Monastery's design reflects the precision and craftsmanship of German engineering, creating a unique blend of aesthetics and functionality. Its peaceful premises make it an excellent spot to recharge your spirit and appreciate the rich diversity of Buddhist traditions.

• Natural Springs Park
• Immerse in German Buddhist culture
• Explore natural springs
• Study Buddhism in-depth

Read more: Places To Visit In Nepal

10. Austrian Monastery | Austrian Peace Haven

The Austrian Monastery offers a glimpse into Austrian Buddhist traditions, a unique experience you won't find elsewhere. You can explore their customs and rituals by immersing yourself in their relaxed practices. The Monastery's architecture is a striking departure from the ordinary, with its distinctive design and intricate details.

• Explore Austrian Buddhist traditions
• Reflect on global peace

11. Nepalese Monastery | Nepali Tranquillity

This spiritual haven beckons you with its rich history and serene environment. What makes it stand out are its intricate wood carvings that showcase Nepal's artistic prowess, taking you on a cultural journey through the country's heritage. Additionally, the Nepalese Monastery offers a sense of community, where you can engage with locals and learn about their traditions.

Major Tourist Spots:

• Experience Nepali Buddhism
• Relax at natural springs

Read More: Top 10 Best Things To Do In Nepal

12. Dae Sung Shakya Temple | Temple of Enlightenment

This hidden gem attracts with its calm backdrop and distinct architectural beauty. Visitors are drawn to this temple for its intricate carvings that tell tales of Buddhist wisdom, creating a unique storytelling experience. Dae Sung Shakya Temple offers a glimpse into the profound teachings of Buddhism, making it a remarkable destination for those seeking solace and spiritual enlightenment.

• Engage in temple rituals

13. Lumbini International Research Institute | Hub of Wisdom

This place is like a treasure trove of wisdom, where you can dive into the rich tapestry of Buddhist knowledge and history. What makes it truly special are its extensive archives that house ancient manuscripts and texts, providing an in-depth insight into Buddhism's profound teachings. Additionally, the institute hosts enlightening seminars and events, offering you the opportunity to deepen your understanding of Buddhism.

• Explore ancient ruins
• Attend spiritual events
• Study Buddhist teachings

Location: within a distance of 1.5 km from Lumbini city.

 Read More: Best Honeymoon places In Nepal

14. Ashoka Pillar | Pillar of Peace

This remarkable historical monument stands tall as a symbol of peace and enlightenment, beckoning you to explore its rich history and spiritual significance. Visitors flock to Ashoka Pillar Lumbini for its two distinctive features: Firstly, its ancient inscriptions, etched by Emperor Ashoka himself. Secondly, the striking design of the pillar, with its magnificent lion capital, is a testament to the grandeur of ancient architecture.

• German Monastery
• Royal Thai Monastery
• Immerse in local culture
• Explore architectural beauty

Read more : Culture Of Nepal

15. World Peace Pagoda | Global Harmony Shrine

With its towering presence and stunning architecture, the World Peace Pagoda instils a sense of peace and harmony. Its sacred aura, where you can meditate and find inner peace, and its panoramic views that allow you to soak in the beauty of the surrounding landscape are something you should not miss. By visiting this extraordinary pagoda, you can experience the essence of tranquillity and the hope for a more peaceful world.

• Ashoka Pillar
• Myanmar Golden Temple
• China Temple
• Reflect on global harmony
• Meditate in tranquil surroundings

Location: within a distance of 2 km from Lumbini city.

Read more : Food Of Nepal

Embarking on a voyage to Lumbini is like stepping into a world where history whispers from every corner, and spirituality fills the air. As you traverse the hallowed grounds, exploring ancient temples and peaceful gardens, you'll discover the essence of a timeless legacy. 15 Most Famous Places To Visit In Lumbini But to make your journey truly seamless and enriching, why not partner with Adotrip ? Our travel companion not only ensures a smooth experience in booking hotels and flights but also provides expertly guided tours. So, answer the call to explore this sacred realm and pack your bags for a spiritual retreat!

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Frequently asked questions about places to visit in lumbini.

Q1. What are the main attractions and sites to visit in Lumbini, the birthplace of Buddha? A1: The main attractions in Lumbini are:

• Maya Devi Temple
• Sacred Garden
• Puskarini (Lumbini Pond)

Q2. Can you recommend any significant monasteries or pilgrimage spots in Lumbini? A2: Yes, some of the monasteries or pilgrimage spots in Lumbini you can visit are:

• Lumbini Monastic Zone

Q3. What is the historical and cultural importance of Lumbini for Buddhists? A3: For Buddhists, Lumbini holds a vital historical and cultural significance:

• Birthplace of Siddhartha Gautama (Buddha).
• A pilgrimage site for Buddhists worldwide.
• Presence of the Maya Devi Temple.
• UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• Symbol of peace and enlightenment.

Q4. Where can I find the sacred garden and the iconic Ashoka Pillar in Lumbini? A4: You can find the sacred garden and the iconic Ashoka Pillar in Lumbini:

• Lumbini Development Zone, Rupandehi District, Nepal.
• Near the Maya Devi Temple in the southern part of Lumbini.

Q5. Are there any museums or exhibits that offer insights into Buddha's life and teachings? A5: Yes, some museums or exhibits that offer insights into Buddha's life and teachings are:

• Lumbini International Research Institute
• Eternal Peace Flame

Q6. How can I engage in meditation or spiritual practices in the serene environment of Lumbini? A6: You can engage in meditation or spiritual practices in Lumbini in the following ways:

• Visit the sacred Lumbini Garden.
• Meditate at the Maya Devi Temple.
• Explore nearby monasteries and meditation centres.
• Join guided meditation sessions and retreats.
• Reflect by the peaceful Lumbini Lake.

Q7. Can you suggest any accommodations that provide easy access to Lumbini's sites? A7 : Yes, some of the accommodations that provide easy access to Lumbini's sites are:

• Lumbini Hotel & Resort
• Maya Devi Temple Guesthouse
• Hotel Siddhartha Garden Lumbini
• Lumbini Buddha Garden Resort
• Nirvana Hotel Lumbini

Q8. What are some nearby attractions or destinations that I can explore from Lumbini? A8: Some nearby attractions or destinations that you can explore from Lumbini are:

• Tilaurakot Archaeological Site

Q9. How can I learn about the ongoing efforts for Lumbini's preservation and development? A9: You can learn about the ongoing efforts for Lumbini's preservation and development by visiting official websites, contacting local authorities, attending seminars and conferences, following news and publications, joining online forums and communities, engaging with local NGOs, and visiting Lumbini in person.

Q10. What is the best way to experience the tranquil ambience and spirituality of Lumbini? A10: The best ways to experience the tranquil ambience and spirituality of Lumbini are:

• Visit the sacred Maya Devi Temple.
• Meditate in the peaceful Lumbini Gardens.
• Explore the monastic zone with various Buddhist monasteries.
• Attend the daily prayer ceremonies and rituals.
• Reflect on the World Peace Pagoda.

--- Published By  Adotrip

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Things to do in Lumbini

Lumbini is the birthplace of Siddhartha Gautama- the Lord Buddha that became a place of faith for millions from around the world. This Mecca for Buddha devotees and believers is located in the Rupandehi District in the Terai lowlands of Nepal.

It is a significant pilgrimage place with significant historical, cultural, religious, and national significance and has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Lumbini is blessed with a range of attractions relating to the major events of Buddha's life, including diverse sites, monuments, and shrines.

People come here because it marks one of the most important sites for their faith. Some come for a brief visit and concentrate on prayer in the Sacred Garden while some visit and stay for longer to gain spiritual experience. Whatever the reason is for them to visit here, it should be a life-changing experience inspired by the Buddha’s life and teachings.

While visiting Lumbini, there are numerous things to do in the region that are not confined to visiting the Sacred Garden or seeking a spiritual experience. So, take a look at our list of the best things to do in Lumbini and use it as a guideline to help you decide what is ideal for you.

Top things to do in Lumbini

1. explore the sacred garden.

The first thing first comes is the Sacred Garden while visiting Lumbini. The Sacred Garden is located in the heart of Lumbini, and it is here that the most important sections of the site may be found. The Ashoka Pillar in the garden built by the Indian emperor Ashoka to commemorate his visit to Lumbini states that Queen Mayadevi gave birth to Prince Siddhartha in this location in 623 BC.

When you enter the garden, you will immediately feel the weight of your surroundings. Pilgrims sit in peaceful prayer beneath prayer flags strung amongst the trees. The garden's center point is the enormous Sacred Pond named Pushkarini Pond, where Queen Mayadevi is claimed to have bathed before giving birth and where she gave her son his first purification wash.

The Mayadevi Temple, on the other hand, is the most prominent archaeological, historical, cultural, and spiritual site in the garden. The big white temple structure visible from the outside is actually a newer structure, having been completed in 2003. It's just there to protect what's within, and it's unimportant in and of itself. When you get at the Marker Stone and take a minute to reflect on what it means, you've completed the physical journey that the Lumbini site's architects planned.

The ancient ruins of stupas and monks in maroon congregating under a sprawling Bodhi Tree draped with colorful prayer flags are another notable thing inside ‘the Sacred Garden’ on Lumbini.

2. Explore Lumbini Monastic Site

Lumbini’s sacred site is surrounded by a huge monastic zone where only temples and monasteries are present to provide insights into Buddhism, its propagation, and the system of belief that acts as a common thread to help maintain harmonious associations between several countries. No stores, motels, or restaurants are permitted in the area. The zone is divided into an eastern and western monastic zone by a lengthy water-filled canal. Theravada Buddhism dominates the eastern zone while Vajrayana and Mahayana dominate the western part.

I. East Monastic Zone

The eastern monastic zone of Lumbini represents Theravada Buddhism which means "elder's teachings," with the elders being senior Buddhist monks. This school of Buddhism considers itself to be the most faithful to the Buddha's original teachings. Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar are the epicenters of Theravada Buddhism which is also known as ‘Southern Buddhism’.

So being dominated by Theravada Buddhism, Eastern Monastic Zone houses the temples and monasteries built by the Southern Asian countries such as Thailand, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, etc. Visitors will not only get to learn about this Buddhism but also admire the fascinating different architectures. The temples, monasteries, and a Vipassana center in this zone are:

A. Royal Thai Buddhist Monastery B. Myanmar Golden Monastery C. Mahabodhi Society Temple of India D. Dhamma Janani Vipassana Center (Nepal) E. International Gautami Nuns Temple (Nepal) F. Sri Lankan Monastery

II. West Monastic Zone

The western monastic zone of Lumbini has fourteen Mahayana Buddhism where Mahayana and Vajrayana practices are followed and two Vipassana Meditation Centers. Mahayana Buddhism is the largest Buddhism sect in the world and Vajrayana Buddhism is a branch of Buddhism that is believed to have started from Mahayana practices. These practices are followed at zeal in Tibet, China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, and Mongolia. Some of these along with other countries such as France, Canada, Germany, Austria, etc. have built monasteries and meditation centers in the zone. They are:

• A. Zhong Hua Chinese Buddhist Monastery (China)
• B. Dae Sung Shakya Temple (South Korea)
• C. Geden International Monastery (Austria)
• D. Urgen Dorjee Chholing Buddhist Centre (Singapore)
• E. French Buddhist Association (France)
• F. The World Linh Son Buddhist Congregation (France)
• G. The Great Lotus Stupa (Tara Foundation) (Germany)
• H. Vietnam Phat Quoc Tu (Vietnam)
• I. Thrangu Vajra Vidhya Buddhist Foundation (Canada)
• J. United Tungaram Buddhist Foundation (Nepal)
• K. Drubgyud Chhoeling Monastery (Nepal Mahayana Temple)
• L. Dharmodhaya Sabha Nepal (Swayambhu Mahavihara)
• M. Karma Samtenling Monastery (Nepal)
• N. Manang Samaj Stupa (Nepal)
• O. Pandirarama Lumbini International Meditation Center (Myanmar)
• P. Drigung Kagyud Meditation Centre (Laddakh)

3. World Peace Pagoda

The World Peace Pagoda is located at the site's northernmost point. The pagoda was built in the early twenty-first century by Japan to promote the value of peace and love. It is one of the most popular destinations in Lumbini. This magnificent stupa is white in hue with the tree level of staircases. There are four massive golden Buddha sculptures facing four different directions.

4. Visit Lumbini Crane Sanctuary

The Crane Sanctuary is located next to the World Peace Pagoda. This wetland was established to provide a haven for native birds, especially Saris Cranes. These world’s highest-flying birds are estimated to be 100 couples in the sanctuary. They are particularly significant in Lumbini because of their unique connection to the Buddha's life story. You can also sight some antelope-like blue bull, Indian spotted eagle, gyps, owls, etc. And for the spectacular views of this reserve, you can walk over to the watchtower.

5. Visit Tilaurakot

Tilaurakot is about 25km west of Lumbini. It is an important archaeological site that houses an ancient palace, where the Buddha spent his 29 years as a Shakya Prince before he embarked on his journey to become the Buddha. It is believed that the Lord Buddha as Prince Siddhartha stood at the eastern gate of Kapilavastu from where we can see the farmlands before taking that first step toward enlightenment.

And while you are here, take some time to roam around and take in the ambiance. There is also the Kapilvastu Museum near Tilaurakot. The museum houses pottery, jewelry, and ornaments of that period.

6. Visit Ramagram Stupa

Another thing to do during your Lumbini journey is to visit the Ramagrama Stupa. It is one of the eight places where the Buddha's relics were placed following his cremation. It is also the only one that hasn't been opened by Emperor Ashoka because he got a vision of a snake deity telling him not to meddle with the site when he arrived.

The Ramagrama Stupa is on a Tentative List for nomination as a new UNESCO World Heritage site because of its significance.

7. Meditation Retreat

Buddhism places a high value on meditation. Buddha himself practiced meditation to achieve enlightenment. So, you can also meditate deeply in one of the meditation centers in Lumbini in the hopes of experiencing the same enlightenment that converted Prince Siddhartha into Lord Buddha. You can also meditate under the Bodhi tree in the Sacred Garden.

8. Boating in Central Canal

The water of the central canal flows through the monastic sites and connects the village area to the Sacred Garden. It is an excellent location for boating activities and viewing the surroundings. You can find modest outboard motorboats that conduct trips at each end of the canal. Otherwise, you have the option of walking down the canal's side, which is supposed to resemble a pilgrimage. Alternatively, you can cycle through one of the site's monastic zones.

9. Cycling Around Town

Cycling is a great way to get closer to the heart of local culture in Lumbini. It is affordable as well as simple to ride because the roads are flat with less traffic. You can enjoy the acres of land covered in mustard flowers and rice paddies. You will be able to observe ancient living styles and people with big smiles.

10. Visit Lumbini Museum

The Lumbini museum is tucked away in the compound’s northern end in the cultural zone. The museum is dedicated to the Buddha’s life and houses an enormous collection of artifacts and images portraying both Lumbini and Lord Buddha. The complex also maintains religious manuscripts, terra-cotta fragments, stone and metal sculptures, and rare and ancient Mauryan and Kushana coins.

When to Travel to Lumbini?

Lumbini is accessible throughout the year and visiting here at any time of year will be a rewarding experience for devotees of Lord Buddha. However, if you’re unsure when to visit Lumbini or come when it’s at its best to fully immerse yourself in the experience without having to worry about inconveniences, here’s a detailed guide about the ideal time to visit Lumbini.

Autumn (October – mid-December) The greatest time to visit Lumbini and discover its landmarks and architecture is in the autumn. The post-monsoon month, October has a clear sky and clean atmosphere. The temperature also begins to cool off which makes the travel to Lumbini very convenient. The sunrise and sunset views are at their most stunning during the autumn season. The temperature ranges from 12°C to 28°C, which is rather pleasant.

Winter (mid-December – March) Winter is harsh in Lumbini. The temperature can get as low as 2°C. And the mornings are foggy and weary because of excessive humidity, limiting a good sightseeing experience.

Spring (March – April) After the harsh winters, the temperatures begin to rise, and the fog lifts, leaving you with a bright and colorful atmosphere ideal for stepping out to explore. The big festival of Buddha Purnima is also held in April or May when hordes of believers and visitors flock from all over the world to commemorate Buddha's birth in his country.

S ummer/Monsoon (Late April-September) Temperatures begin to climb significantly in late April and May, reaching up to 40 degrees Celsius. The monsoon season starts in mid-to late-June and can persist until September. While the rains provide some reprieve from the oppressive heat, the humidity levels are still too high to enjoy any outdoor strolls or sightseeing.

How to get to Lumbini?

The major gateway to enter Nepal is Kathmandu because it houses the only International Airport in the country. The other ways are via the Nepal-Tibet border or the Nepal-India border. So, to get to Lumbini these three ways are open for international travelers. Being Kathmandu the major spot, let’s take a look at the options from Kathmandu to Lumbini

• Getting Lumbini from Kathmandu

Lumbini is about 270 kilometers away from the capital Kathmandu. Both air and road options are available from Kathmandu to Lumbini. A charter flight is a quickest and most comfortable option, but it is also the most expensive. For the budget options, you can either take the public vehicle transfer or tourist bus transfer.

By Air Flying is the quickest method to get to Lumbini from Kathmandu. And there are daily flights from Kathmandu to Bhairahawa (Gautman Buddha International Airport) which take around 30 minutes. Buddha Air, Yeti Airlines, and Shree Airlines are the only airlines that fly between these two cities. Lumbini is about a 28-kilometer/30 minutes drive from the Gautam Buddha International Airport by taxi or public transfer.

(Note: Depending upon the visitors’ budget and interest, a chartered helicopter flight is also possible from Kathmandu to Lumbini.)

By Road The road is the most common way to get to Lumbini from Kathmandu. The drive on the tarmac road might last 7-10 hours depending upon the traffic. The drive is scenic where you will go from the hilly region to the Terai plains and notice a dramatic shift in the landscape. The level of comfort may vary on your road trip, depending on your mode of transportation but none of the ground transportation options will match the comfort of a flight, maybe due to time constraints. However, the cost is more comfortable when traveling via road than via flight.

If you are planning to travel via roadways, here are the options to choose from.

• By Private Transfer A private transfer from Kathmandu to Lumbini is the next most comfortable option after flying. You can eat and rest anywhere you want and have frequent rest stops. The cost of hiring the private transfer may vary based on the vehicle model, size, and seat numbers.

• By local/tourist bus Local and tourist bus services are only recommended if you are on a tight budget or experience the local way of traveling.

Tourist buses are a little more expensive than the local ones with services like air conditioning, comfortable seats, and sufficient lunch and comfort stops. The prices might again vary depending upon the ongoing market value and pre-booked tickets are also not compulsory. However, your seats will be secure during the peak season and traveling with a large group if you book the ticket in advance.

Being the cheapest in all, local vehicles/buses are loud and crowded with no air conditioning and no comfort stops. Sometimes, the seats are broken and the buses are overloaded and you have to eat at local eateries along the highway.

Another downside of traveling via local and tourist vehicles is that they won’t drop you off at the Lumbini Bazaar but at Buddha Chowk from where you have to take another vehicle to reach Lumbini Bazaar.

2. Getting Lumbini from Nepal-India Border

There are 8 open Nepal-India borders from where one can travel from one country to other. If you want to travel to Lumbini from India, Sunauli, around 30 kilometers away from Lumbini, is the closest border crossing. After arriving in Sunauli, you can take a rickshaw or available public vehicle to Buddha Chowk, where you will see the buses waiting to go to Lumbini Bazaar. You can also hire a private transfer which is more expensive but more convenient.

3. Getting Lumbini from other places

• Lumbini is about 170 kilometers from Pokhara. You can either take a flight, a private vehicle, or a public transfer to get to Lumbini from Pokhara city. • It is just 130 kilometers from Chitwan National Park. And it is the closest place to visit from. You can opt. to drive on a private jeep or car or a local bus.

4. Getting Lumbini from the Nepal-Tibet border

Travelers traveling from the Nepal-Tibet border have to drive to Kathmandu and opt. to choose to drive or fly from Kathmandu as above mentioned.

Lumbini is full of history. It tells a lot about the Lord Buddha’s life. It is where the people seek spiritual experience. It is the place where people go to find nirvana. Choose anything from the above list of best things to do in Lumbini and make a tribute to the creator of philosophy, whose goal was to eradicate suffering from human life.

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Major Attractions of Lumbini

If you have had the opportunity to visit Nepal, you are sure to have certain images in your head that remind you of your journey to the Himalayan kingdom- it could be the snow-capped mountains, the terraced fields, splashing rivers, pagoda styled temples, and finally Gautam Buddha. It is hard not to associate every Gautam Buddha picture, idol, stupa or mentions with Nepal as it is the birthplace of the most famous preacher of peace in the world. A number of devotees as well as historically inclined tourists visit Nepal every year for the very purpose of witnessing the birthplace of Lord Buddha- Lumbini.

Situated in the Terai belt of the nation, Lumbini happens to be one of the famous tourist destinations, a Mecca for the devotees and believers all over the world.  Lumbini is located in the district of Kapilvastu, near the Indian border. Blessed with the various sites, instruments and shrines of various stages of Buddha’s life, Lumbini offers a variety of attractions related to the different occurrences in Buddha’s life. Lumbini is believed to be the place where Queen Maya Devi gave birth to the baby Buddha, Siddhartha Gautam. While there are various inscriptions, bricks and other evidences of Lumbini being the birthplace and a place of worship for the people for centuries, it was rediscovered by Nepali archaeologists in 1896. The archaeologists discovered the Ashokan pillar which confirmed the linkage of Lumbini with Buddha.

UNESCO enlisted the birthplace as a world heritage site due to its importance to the Hindu and Buddhist religious community as well as the history and culture of the entire world. The Lumbini heritage site covers 4.8km in length and 1.3 km in width and is stated as a monastic zone where only monasteries can be built. Building of any recreational structure in the area is prohibited and is separated into the Eastern zone (with Theravadin monasteries) and the Western zone (Mahayana and Vajrayana monasteries).  The major attractions of Lumbini are as follows

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Maya Devi temple

The most noted and the important temple in the premise enshrines the traditional location of Buddha’s birth. The Maya Devi temple is one of the major attractions of Lumbini.The later temple is a white building that protects the exact spot of Buddha’s birth, denoted by a marker stone.  The Bodhi tree is apparently the tree where Maya Devi rested in the shade while she was travelling. It was there that she went into labor and took a ritual dip in the nearby pond, which is believed to be the place where Buddha took his first bath too.

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Ashokan pillar

It is believed that this pillar was built during 249 BC, when Emperor Ashoka of India visited the then flourishing village of Lumbini. He built four stupas and a pillar with a horse idol at the top and an inscription that describes his visit and the importance of Lumbini as the birthplace of Lord Buddha. The pillar is surrounded by a small fence, decorated with colorful prayer flags and also has bowls to light incense sticks and meditate. This pillar holds a historical significance and it is considered to be one of the major attractions of Lumbini.

Myanmar Golden Temple

One of the oldest structures on the premises with three prayer halls is the Myanmar golden temple. Right inside the temple premises is the Lokamani Pula pagoda, another Burmese style pagoda that resembles the Shwe-dagon pagoda of Yangon.

World Peace Pagoda

This pagoda was built by the Japanese at the cost of US $ 1 million, just outside the main area. The pagoda has the statue of Lord Buddha in the position he took when he was born. It is a gleaming white structure with a golden statue. It is one of the rising attractions of Lumbini.

Dharma swami Maharaja Buddha Vihar

This Tibetan styled Gompa outside the complex was built by His Eminence Chogya Trichen Ringboche and Raja of Mustang where Tara Puja is conducted every day by the 60 monks who reside there.

China temple

It is a complex of pagodas, prayer rooms and meditation cells. The other temples and monasteries include the Korean temple, others built by Vietnam, Thailand, Mongolia, Germany, Sri Lanka and other countries.

Lumbini Museum

Lumbini Museum on the northern end of the premise is dedicated to the life of Gautam Buddha and houses the photos and artifacts from Buddhist sites all over the world.

With all these attractions of Lumbini, the destination is visited by thousand of Buddhists and Hindu devotees from all around the world along with historians and tourists interested in Buddhist religion and culture. Apart from the structures, Lumbini area is also famous for the wide array of bird species found in its farmland and reservoirs that include the Sarus crane, Indian spotted eagle, gyps, owls and other endangered animals too.  People interested in trekking can also take the Lumbini circuit tour to visit the 64 scattered archaeological sites in the area. The trip to the villages in the surrounding areas also lets one to experience and understand the lifestyles of the diverse ethnic people as one goes to the villages and indulges in the everyday lives, culture and customs of the warm and friendly people. The trip to Lumbini is a complete package-combining nature with the culture and religion and warm hospitality of the people making it a truly peaceful and spiritual experience.

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The vision for the Greater Lumbini Area

" It is a concern of humanity as a whole," says Kosh Prasad Acharya, a National expert in Archaeology, emphasizing Lumbini's relevance in today's world. Over time, studies and research have revealed that Lumbini is just one part of a pilgrimage circuit, connected by other significant historical sites such as Ramagrama and Tilaurakot-Kapilavastu, two adjacent sites which are also associated with Lord Buddha's life and included in the UNESCO Tentative List for World Heritage.

The region is rich in archaeological remains; every unimpressive fallow land could be hiding ancient complexes underneath.

With support from the Japanese government since 2011, UNESCO, in partnership with the Lumbini Development Trust (LDT) and the Department of Archaeology (DoA) under Nepal’s Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation, has been spearheading archaeological excavations and conservation efforts in Lumbini and the Greater Lumbini Area (GLA). The vision to preserve the landscape, emblematic landmarks in the GLA, has guided the programme's evolution from a purely research-oriented program to adopting a holistic approach that preserves, promotes, and sustains the tangible and living heritages spanning an area of about 70*3 0  kilometres.

Groundbreaking discoveries have been made over the years. Excavations at Lumbini have, for the first time, revealed evidence of a structure dating back to the sixth century BCE, during the lifetime of Buddha. Excavations at the Tilaurakot-Kapilavastu Tentative List site have unveiled palatial compounds, water tanks dating back to the Mauryan period, residential suburbs, and one of the region’s largest monasteries, among other finds from the period 900 BCE to 400 CE. Collectively, this represents the best-preserved early historic city and hinterland complexes in South Asia.

A management plan for Lumbini, including conservation and development guidelines, was prepared, and the Integrated Management Framework was adopted by the Government of Nepal in May 2022. Furthermore, the entire Sacred Garden was gazetted as a Protected Monument Zone, ensuring the highest level of protection based on the Ancient Monument Preservation Act. Dr. Kai Weise, a heritage management expert, highlighted the significance of these critical steps taken to safeguard the archaeological site and cater to visiting pilgrims. He emphasized the need for further collaboration with site managers and local authorities to implement management provisions and elaborate on various sector strategies.

GIS mapping has been conducted on 235 heritage sites within the Greater Lumbini Area, particularly in Kapilvastu and Rupandehi Districts. However, according to Professor Yukio Nishimura, an expert on Architecture and Urban Planning from Kokugakuin University in Japan, the work is far from complete, and the programme is at a crucial stage. Professor Nishimura believes that the landscape of Lord Buddha's life must be considered as a whole ensemble of heritage and as the basis for regional development, advocating for the inclusion of a much larger landscape, including Kapilavastu, within the programme's scope and development.

Despite these achievements, the persistent challenge lies in shielding the landscape from encroaching urbanization and haphazard development. Nevertheless, the potential economic benefits of preserving GLA are compelling, promising to uplift local communities through increased tourism and economic prosperity. Alongside the associated economic benefits, it is critical for local people, administrators, youth, and other stakeholders to participate and contribute to common objectives: conservation, promotion, and development of the area. " It is a constant challenge to defend the landscape from urbanization and unplanned development," explains Professor Coningham of the University of Durham, the programme's International Expert in Archaeology. The annual  Tilaurakot–Kapilavastu Heritage Festival organized in Tilaurakot celebrates the region’s tangible and living heritages, illustrating successful collaboration.

"Once GLA is properly mapped and preserved, visitors will not limit themselves to Lumbini alone but will start exploring these areas as well, uplifting the local people economically," adds Prof. Coningham. Therefore, the programme is committed to closely working with local communities for their intertwined present and future with Lumbini.

As the programme concludes, experts reflect with pride and emotion. While Professor Coningham declares the programme as the most impressive UNESCO program in South Asia, Mr. Acharya applauds Japan’s long-term commitment through funding to preserve and protect the heritage of Lord Buddha. 

Due to the generous financial support from our Japanese friends, the quality and capacity of conservation and management of concerned national agencies, with support through research involving national and international agencies and experts, have been enhanced. 

46 (including 15 women) national officers and 261 (including 99 women) master’s level students of Tribhuwan and Lumbini Buddhist Universities have received training in archaeological investigations and conservation in Lumbini and Tilaurakot.

This fourteen-year long intervention has not only unearthed some of the most crucial details of Lord Buddha’s life but has also prompted partner organizations to come in to help protect both tangible and living heritages. Evolving over time, the programme has also contributed to improving livelihoods, promoting local artisans/craftspeople, and igniting a passion among the young generation to bear the responsibility to protect this ancient treasure and their heritage. The programme is reaching its conclusion, but much more work remains.

"We are in the middle of the long journey to our common goals," Professor Nishimura concludes.

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• Open access
• Published: 24 April 2024

Constructing cultural integration through rhetoric in Modi’s speech in Lumbini, Nepal

• Surendra Prasad Ghimire 1  

Humanities and Social Sciences Communications volume  11 , Article number:  529 ( 2024 ) Cite this article

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• Cultural and media studies

This article reports how the rhetorical devices and logical argument utilized in the speech of Narendra Modi, the prime minister of India, delivered in Lumbini, addressing the 2566th birth ceremony of Lord Buddha, assisted him to establish his purpose by persuading the audience. I adopted the concept of rhetoric developed by Aristotle and the notion of argument advanced by Toulmin as a theoretical perspective to analyze his speech. The findings reported that Modi used rhetorical devices and layers of argument to establish religious and cultural relationships between Nepal and India; however, he focused on religions, particularly Hinduism and Buddhism, and excluded the religious and cultural sentiments of people belonging to other religious and cultural backgrounds living in both countries. The finding further revealed that Modi’s seemingly religious rhetoric was directed towards the political mission of promoting relations between Nepal and India by expanding cultural nationalism and establishing the supremacy of Hinduism and Buddhism. This study has greater significance because it adds new insights into the existing literature on rhetoric and communication and provides a clear direction for further analyzing the rhetorical strategy in Modi’s speeches.

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Narendra Modi, the prime minister of India, at the invitation of the prime minister of Nepal, Sher Bahadur Deuba, made an official visit to Lumbini on May 16, 2022, on the auspicious occasion of Lord Buddha’s 2566th birth anniversary (India 2022 ). He delivered his speech as a distinguished guest, addressing the gathering of dignitaries, Buddhist scholars, monks, and ministers of the government of Nepal, focusing on Buddhism and Hinduism to establish cultural and religious relations between Nepal and India (Ministry of Foreign Affairs, N ( 2022 ); Modi 2022a ). The existing scholarship reflected that he focused on improving relations with neighboring countries, including Nepal, since he was appointed prime minister of India in 2014 by concentrating on culture, connectivity, and cooperation among the countries (Gupta and Rashid Wani 2016 ; Yhome 2019 ). However, some studies reported that his attempt to establish harmonious relations with his neighboring nations, particularly Nepal, failed as he could not implement the promises, mainly related to developmental and mutual understanding in problem-solving among the neighboring countries, made in the Neighborhood First Policy (Das 2023 ; Lamichhane 2023 ). In addition, some literature revealed that Modi adopted Hindu nationalism and promoted international relations with the support of Hindu religion and culture (Huju 2022 ; Singh 2019 ). However, the existing literature almost ignores how Modi utilized rhetorical devices and logical structure in his speech in Lumbini, Nepal, to establish a cultural connection with Nepal. Rhetorical analysis of Modi’s speech during his Nepal visit has always been significant in exploring the relationship between Nepal and India. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze Modi’s speech delivered in Lumbini to find out the answer to the research questions, such as what message Modi delivered in his speech, what rhetorical devices and logical organization he utilized to deliver his message, and how his rhetorical devices and logical organization used in his speech helped him establish a cultural and religious relationship between Nepal and India. I analyzed Modi’s speech from a rhetorical perspective, as this study was highly motivated to explore rhetorical elements and logical organization in the speech.

Literature review

Promotion of hinduism and buddhism.

Some existing studies (Chauhan 2015 ; Scott 2016 ) reported that Buddhism has served as a powerful diplomatic tool in many ways for historical reconstruction and building strong attachments among Buddhist countries almost all over the world. Further, after exploring two thousand years of the history of Buddhism and its influences in the Himalayan region, Zhang ( 2022 ) concluded that there was high competition between India and China about utilizing Buddhist diplomacy for their national interests. Likewise, in the present context, Balakrishnan ( 2019 ) claimed that Modi utilized cultural diplomacy based on the spiritual strength of Hinduism and Buddhism to promote the national power of India in the world. In doing so, Modi multiplied a trend of high-profile international visits, including to his neighboring countries, to advance Indian cultural influence and promote India’s image in a new global context (Jain 2014 ).

Moreover, several studies (Jaffrelot 2021 ; Kaul 2017 ; Singh 2019 ) reported that Modi promoted Hinduism by demarcating Hinduism and non-Hinduism, particularly separating Muslims. In addition, recent scholarships (Saleem 2023a ; Yilmaz and Morieson 2023 ) revealed that Modi promoted Hindu nationalism in India by dividing the total population into three categories: pure Hindus, disloyal elites, and risky Muslims. Hindu nationalism indicates the idea of Hinduism, which claims that all the citizens living in India belong to a Hindu religion-based civilization and that their national identity is related to Hinduism (Saleem 2021 ; Shani 2021 ). Therefore, Saleem ( 2021 ) reported that the promotion of Hindu nationalism increased the threat to non-Hindu religious people, more precisely to Muslims. As Modi envisions threats from the Islamic religion, he attempts to minimize such threats by erasing Islamic history through his economic policy of development (Waikar 2018 ). Thus, research (Das 2023 ) claimed that Modi’s Hindu nationalism is embedded in his popular development programs, which is against the spirit of the world’s largest democratic country, India.

Modi’s art of communication

Moreover, focusing on Modi’s communication skills during the COVID-19 pandemic, mainly via television and radio broadcasts, and adopting the discourse analysis method, Sambaraju ( 2022 ) argued that Modi had skills in the special use of language by understanding the context that assisted him in establishing mutual relations with the audience as if he was their family member, which made him successful in implementing the order of government and maintaining the crisis. However, focusing on the relationship between Modi’s speech and the context, that study almost failed to explore how Modi utilized rhetorical devices and logical arguments to persuade the audience. Further, by investigating Modi’s address on the radio to the nation and adopting the motivating language theory, Sharma and Dubey ( 2021 ) claimed that Modi’s use of motivating language, which included meaning-making, direction-giving, and empathetic language, made him an effective leader. However, the context of language use and the theoretical perspective of language exploration remained prominent concerns. In addition, exploring the power of leaders emulating ordinary people’s language, Martelli and Jaffrelot ( 2023 ) reported that Modi imitated ordinary people’s language, which helped him be close to the public and become a popular leader. Likewise, Sen ( 2016 ) claimed that Modi utilized various powerful symbols and images from the Hindu religion in his public speeches and communication more often than previous prime ministers of India, which made him an effective and influential leader in India. In addition, while exploring the visual rhetoric of Modi, Price ( 2015 ) reported that Modi’s age, physical appearance with gray hair and a beard, and his glasses made him a fashion icon. By investigating Modi’s political rhetoric on Twitter, Martelli and Jumle ( 2023 ) argued that Modi identified himself as a democratic, multidimensional, supportive, and peace-establishing leader, which helped him win public support. However, the above studies almost remained silent about how Modi used a chain of arguments and various rhetorical devices and how such devices helped him establish his claim by persuading the audience in his public speech.

Indo-Nepal relation

Indo-Nepal relations have always remained a prominent concern to explore, as Nepal is a landlocked country covered by India from the east, south, and west. Although Nepal and India are close neighboring countries, they have faced challenges in their relations because of open borders, Nepal’s excessive dependency on India for trade and transit to other countries, and Nepal’s negligence of India’s security risk (Upreti 2003 ). Focusing on Indo-Nepal relations, some studies (Anupam 2020 ; Bashyal 2019 ) reported that India’s “big brother” concept, territorial conflicts on the border, and unequal diplomatic contracts have added to the challenges in their relations. On the other hand, anti-Indian sentiment has been growing in Nepal because of the border disputes between the two countries (Aryal and Pulami 2023 ; Tripathi 2019 ). Moreover, Nepal revised its map, incorporating Limpiyadhura, Kalapani, and Lipulekh Pass in Sudurpachhim Pardesh (Far-Western Province); however, it became contested (Ethirajan 2020 ). Although Modi promised to strengthen relations between Nepal and India by promoting cooperation and initiating new projects of development in Nepal (Bhattarai 2014 ), in Nepal, it was realized the gap between the promise and delivery of Modi because of delays in the implementation of the agreements and India’s interference in Nepali internal politics by blocking the border in response to the promulgation of the new constitution of Nepal (Das 2016 ; Muni 2017 ). Thus, research (Giri 2022 ) reported that Modi frequently visited Nepal to improve the relationship between Nepal and India. In this context, exploring Modi’s speech delivered in Lumbini, Nepal, would have great significance for understanding the relationship between Nepal and India.

Furthermore, Modi made his second foreign visit to Nepal (3rd and 4th August 2014) to endorse the Neighborhood First Policy of India (Aryal and Bharti 2023 ). The diplomacy of the Neighborhood First Policy is committed to promoting a foreign policy of India, regional cooperation in the sectors of education and health, and promoting security cooperation among the neighbors (Muni 2017 ). In addition, Modi modified the Neighborhood First Policy based on his government’s ideology, interests, and domestic political calculations (Ganguly 2017 ; Jacob 2022 ). He attempted to improve relationships among the neighboring countries by implementing the Neighborhood First Policy; however, some studies (Das 2023 ; Kaura and Rani 2020 ; Muni 2017 ; Singh 2016 ) reported that his diplomacy of the Neighborhood First Policy ceased to function well by showing India’s complex regional relations, particularly with Nepal and Pakistan. However, Modi advocated Buddhism and Hinduism in Lumbini and used them to establish age-long harmonious religious and cultural relationships between Nepal and India.

The departure of the study

The above literature depicted various themes related to Modi, such as his skills in using ordinary people’s language, his motivating language power, and his skills in utilizing various religious, cultural, and mythical references in his speeches. However, existing studies have almost failed to explore Modi’s speech from a rhetorical perspective. Therefore, this study explores Modi’s message in his speech, the rhetorical elements he utilized to deliver it, and how the rhetorical devices and arguments used in the speech supported him in achieving his purpose. I hope this study can add significant value to the existing literature on rhetoric and communication by depicting how the special use of rhetoric can endorse the mission of establishing religious and cultural relationships between Nepal and India.

This study is based on an interpretative research design. Modi’s speech in Lumbini on the occasion of Lord Buddha’s 2566th birth ceremony was purposefully selected as the primary text of this study. As I argued that Modi used special rhetorical elements and arguments to achieve his goal of maintaining a religious and cultural connection between Nepal and India, I adopted Toulmin’s notion of arguments and Aristotle’s rhetorical ideas as theoretical perspectives to analyze his speech. Aristotle’s concept of rhetoric helped me understand how he used rhetorical devices such as logos, ethos, and pathos to persuade the audience. Toulmin’s idea of argument helped me further analyze his speech, exploring the strengths and weaknesses of his arguments. Further, the English script of his speech was retrieved from his website (Modi 2022a ), and the video of his speech in his original language was obtained from YouTube (Modi 2022b ). The secondary data were collected from various reliable printed and online resources, such as theses, journal articles, books, and magazines. He delivered his speech for 20 min (Modi 2022b ), addressing a gathering of distinguished guests, dignitaries from different parts of the world, ministers of the government of Nepal, Buddhist monks, and scholars (Ministry of External Affairs 2022 ). He mostly used Hindi; however, sometimes he switched to Nepali and Sanskrit. I watched and listened to his speech repeatedly, mainly focusing on his message, rhetorical devices, and arguments utilized in his language. I recorded his rhetorical devices, such as similes, metaphors, images, and symbols, to name a few, and the components of his arguments, such as claims, data, conclusions, and so forth, in my diary. In addition, I observed in the video his dress, gestures, level of confidence, and audience response during his speech. Finally, I analyze all the collected information by adopting the overarching theoretical perspectives of rhetoric and argument, which I elaborate on in the following section.

Rhetoric and persuasion

As a theoretical framework, I utilized the concept of rhetoric developed by Aristotle since my research explored the rhetorical elements used in Modi’s speech delivered in Lumbini. Aristotle defined rhetoric as the art of using language to influence and persuade others (Garver 1994 ). He further discussed three types of rhetoric: ethos, pathos, and logos, to effectively establish an idea by convincing the audience (Braet 1992 ). Moreover, Rapp ( 2002 ) argued that Aristotle’s concept of rhetoric has three ways of persuading the audience: the speaker’s ethos, the audience’s emotional state, and the arguments used in the speech. Further, defending Plato’s charges against rhetoric, Aristotle argued that rhetoric established the link between “private and public, passion and reason, individual interest and the common good” (Nichols 1987 , p. 657). In addition, Hühn and Meyer ( 2023 ) claimed that Aristotle’s concept of rhetoric and the idea of leadership are inseparable, as rhetoric supports establishing the connection between the leader and the public and persuades them to achieve the purpose. Likewise, Agatta ( 2023 ) concluded that Aristotelian rhetoric contributed to improving the art of public speaking by supporting the effective delivery of messages. In the modern context, rhetoric was considered an effective means for persuading and influencing the audience to achieve the desired goal as it employed a more comprehensive range of linguistic and stylistic devices, such as metaphors, similes, repetition, images, paradoxes, religious and historical references, and ironies (Andrews, 2013 ). Thus, the above-discussed concept of rhetoric developed by Aristotle assisted me in analyzing Modi’s speech to explore the rhetorical elements he used and how such rhetorical devices supported him in establishing the religious and cultural connection between Nepal and India.

In addition, I adopted Stephen Toulmin’s notion of arguments as a theoretical perspective for analyzing the logical organization of Modi’s speech in Lumbini. Toulmin discussed various elements of arguments such as claim, backing, warrant, ground, qualifier, and rebuttal, and such elements of the argument need to function together appropriately to make the communication argumentative, convincing, and persuasive. Thus, Verheij ( 2005 ) claimed that Toulmin’s idea of components of argument has been widely used for analyzing the basic foundation of arguments used in communication. Similarly, Toulmin et al. ( 1984 ) claimed that the notion of Toulmin on argument assisted in finding the trains of reasoning in the arguments and provided the critical process for evaluating the arguments. Thus, Toulmin’s mode of argument would be valuable for modern rhetoric because it enhances the power of generating new ideas for constructing sound arguments (Karbach 1987 ; Trent 1968 ). In addition, Toulmin advanced the concept of arguments by refining and replacing “the traditional concepts of ‘claim’ and ‘premise’ with new concepts of ‘claim’, ‘data’, ‘warrant, ‘qualifier’,’ rebuttal’, and ‘backing (Racharak and Tojo 2022 , p. 1). Further, Toulmin et al. ( 1984 ) clarified that the claim has just been a hypothetical idea and has been transformed into a conclusion after receiving support from the ground, warrant, and backing. In the same way, Toulmin et al. ( 1984 ) added that ground refers to data that explicitly supports the claim, warrant indicates the general rules that implicitly support the claim, backing for the warrant makes the claim stronger by interconnecting with the chain of supporting, and qualifier indicates the degree of certainty and strength of the conclusion in the argument; however, the rebuttal shows the exceptional case of the argument, where the chain of arguments goes wrong. Therefore, I adopted Toulmin’s notion of argument in analyzing Modi’s speech, as it assisted me in exploring how Modi used elements of argument in his speech to persuade the audience to achieve his purpose.

Analysis and discussion

This section analyzed Modi’s speech delivered in Lumbini to answer the research questions of what message Modi delivered in his speech, what rhetorical elements he utilized to deliver his message, and how his rhetorical devices and arguments supported him in achieving his purpose, with the support of the theoretical perspective discussed above.

Rhetorical analysis of Modi’s speech

Modi’s rhetoric of cultural integration.

Establishing cultural integration between Nepal and India based on religions, particularly Hinduism and Buddhism, served as one of the predominant themes throughout Modi’s address to the 2566th birth ceremony of Lord Buddha in Lumbini, Nepal. He claimed Nepal and India have an age-long religious and cultural relationship (Modi, 2022a ). In doing so, he adopted rhetorical devices such as ethos, pathos, and logos, as discussed by Aristotle Rapp ( 2002 ), and components of argument elaborated by Toulmin et al. ( 1984 ). To set the foundation for his claim, throughout his speech, he provides the ground, which refers to specific evidence and facts (Toulmin et al. 1984 ), to support his claim by referring to various religious and cultural connections based on Hinduism and Buddhism between Nepal and India. For instance, he said, “Whether it is in Pashupatinathji, Muktinathji, Janakpurdham, or Lumbini, Nepal gratifies me with its spiritual blessings” (Modi 2022a , p. 1). His possible reasons for sharing his spiritualism enriched by Hinduism and Buddhism in Nepal depicted not only his unshakeable faith in Hinduism and Buddhism but also his special interest in setting religious and cultural connections between Nepal and India. He added that “this common heritage, common culture, common faith, and common love are our greatest assets” (Modi 2022a , p. 1). His remark showed that he seemed to expand cultural nationalism by establishing a similar religious and cultural atmosphere between Nepal and India. Consistent with the finding of Balakrishnan ( 2019 ), Modi’s Lumbini speech revealed his political motive of expanding India’s national power in Nepal with the support of religion and culture. At the same time, his rhetoric of religion and culture to establish the connection between Nepal and India served as the tools to carry out his political mission of improving and promoting relationships with neighboring countries, particularly with Nepal. Since he was appointed prime minister of India in 2014, he has focused on improving relations with his neighboring countries (Gupta and Rashid Wani 2016 ). In this regard, he added ground for his claim by unfolding cultural and religious evidence, particularly from Hinduism and Buddhism, to exhibit how Nepal and India have cultural connections and harmonious relationships. In doing so, he connected his speech with his previous speech delivered in Nepal: “In Janakpur, I had said that “Our Ram is also incomplete without Nepal.” I know that today, when a grand temple of Lord Shri Ram is being built in India, the people of Nepal are feeling equally happy” (Modi, 2022a , p. 1). Likewise, he added, “India and the people of India have looked at Nepal with this vision and faith for thousands of years” (Modi 2022a , p. 1). By exposing long-standing relationships between Nepal and India and depicting the common religious and cultural sentiments by bringing references from the epic ‘The Ramayana’ related to Hinduism, he not only attempted to promote mutual relations between Nepal and India but also reinforced his political motive of expanding cultural relations based on the religions Hinduism and Buddhism by stimulating the cultural and religious sentiments of the audience, particularly Hindus from Nepal and India.

Moreover, as Aristotle suggested, ethos, pathos, and logos assisted the speaker in persuading the audience to establish the claim (Braet 1992 ; Rapp 2002 ; Wisse 1989 ); Modi effectively adopted them to persuade and influence the audience. For instance, he said:

Nepal means the country of the world’s highest mountain, Sagarmatha! Nepal means the country of many holy pilgrimages, temples, and monasteries in the world! Nepal means the country that preserves the ancient civilizational culture of the world! […] When I come to Nepal, I have a different spiritual experience than any other political visit (Modi 2022a , p. 1).

The above excerpt of Modi’s speech depicted repetitions such as “Nepal means the country…” which indicated his particular focus on Nepal by reflecting Nepal as a land of ancient civilization and spiritualism. Further, the repetitions he made in his speech have, in many respects, greater significance, as, on the one hand, they helped him to create pathos, particularly in the Nepali audience, by highlighting and glorifying Nepal, and on the other hand, such pathos supported him to establish his claim by influencing his audience, mainly from Nepal. As Aristotle claimed that rhetoric is the art of using language to persuade the audience (Garver 1994 ), Modi used various rhetorical devices in his speech, such as similes, metaphors, and various images, which helped him persuade and convince the audience of his purpose. For instance, he said, “The relationship between India and Nepal is as stable as a mountain and as old as a mountain. We have to give a new height to our instinctive and natural relationships as much as the Himalayas” (Modi 2022a , p. 1). As Andrews ( 2013 ) claimed, Modi’s use of figures of speech, such as similes, metaphors, and images, in his speech served as a powerful rhetorical strategy. This strategy assisted him in persuading the audience by strengthening his logical argument that Nepal and India have had ancient cultural and religious connections and, therefore, needed to be maintained in the same spirit. As Sen ( 2016 ) reported, Modi utilized various powerful symbols and images from Hinduism and Buddhism to establish his claim. Apart from this, his sentence structure was average and lucid so that even a general audience related to Hinduism and Buddhism could understand it, and his frequent code-switching from Hindi to Nepali and Sanskrit helped him persuade the audience of his claim.

In addition, Modi showed his ethos by sharing his affinity with Buddhism and Hinduism. He added, “This has been the specialty of India, and therefore you also know my affinity with Sarnath near Kashi. From Sarnath, Bodh Gaya, and Kushinagar in India to Lumbini in Nepal” (Modi 2022a , p. 1). He further continued, “I also have another relationship with Lord Buddha, which is also a wonderful coincidence and which is also very pleasant. The place where I was born, Vadnagar in Gujarat, was a great center of Buddhist learning centuries ago” (Modi 2022a , p. 1). Moreover, he shared his experiences of visiting divine places related to Buddhism. For instance, he said, “In the past as well, on the day of Vaishakh Purnima, I have been getting the opportunities to visit the divine places associated with Lord Buddha for events associated with him. And today, I have had the privilege of visiting Lumbini, the holy birthplace of Lord Buddha, in Nepal” (Modi 2022a , p. 1). Ethos, as a mode of persuasion to the audience in Aristotelian rhetoric, refers to the reputation and authority of the speaker, which make speech believable (Halloran 1982 ). Thus, Modi’s frequent opportunities and experience of visiting places related to Hinduism and Buddhism and the information that he has had about them depicted his ethos in the speech and helped him to promote the reliability and credibility of his narrative.

Furthermore, by setting proper grounds, as discussed above, Modi further strengthened his argument to establish his claim. As Toulmin et al. ( 1984 ) suggested, warrants in the arguments linked the ground to the claim and strengthened the argument. In the same way, Modi’s ground for his claim was warranted by the religious and cultural sentiments of the audience, which strengthened his claim by connecting the ground with it. The above warrant of Modi’s arguments was backed by the assumption that harmonious relationships between and among the countries have been considered far better than confronting and having aggressive relations, and such relations among the countries, in many respects, helped to minimize the various kinds of problems faced by those countries. Therefore, as Toulmin et al. ( 1984 ) suggested, Modi concluded by providing adequate evidence, warrants, and backing for his claim. Although he did not draw his conclusion by using specific qualifiers such as “definitely,” “certainly,” “probably,” etcetera, as discussed by Toulmin et al. ( 1984 ), his beginning of concluding sentences like “I am satisfied…” and “I am confident…” singled out the reliability of his conclusion and his level of confidence in drawing conclusions from the ground, warrant, and backing, as discussed above.

Further, the conclusion of Modi’s argument has been drawn, assuming that most of the people living in Nepal and India are Hindus and Buddhists, and they are aware of and devoted to promoting and expanding their religious and cultural values. In this case, people’s reduction of faith in religious and cultural values functioned as a rebuttal to his arguments. As these conditions were not met, his claims and arguments proved wrong. However, as Karbach ( 1987 ) discussed, Modi seemed to have been careful in drawing his conclusion, which assisted him in persuading his audience.

Modi’s rhetoric of exclusion

Although Modi adopted various rhetorical devices and components of argument as discussed above to establish cultural integration based on the religions, particularly Hinduism and Buddhism, between Nepal and India, it posed serious challenges as it seemed exclusive as it ignored the spirit of the multi-cultural and multi-religious ground realities of India and Nepal. For example, he said:

The ever-strengthening friendship between India and Nepal and our closeness will serve the benefit of humanity. And in this, the faith of both our countries towards Lord Buddha, the boundless reverence for him, unites us in one thread and makes us members of a family (Modi 2022a , p. 1).

Modi’s rhetoric of narrative revealed that he adopted the religions Hinduism and Buddhism and culture based on them to strengthen the mutual relationship between Nepal and India; however, his attempt lacked an inclusive vision by ignoring other religious and cultural communities from both countries. Moreover, Modi’s rhetoric of exclusion has become much clearer from his further remarks, as he said, “From Sarnath, Bodh Gaya, and Kushinagar in India to Lumbini in Nepal, these holy places symbolize our shared heritage and shared values” (Modi 2022a , p. 1). Modi’s remarks revealed that he attempted to promote a common religion and culture in Nepal and India based on Hinduism and Buddhism. He further showed his desire that “this common heritage, common culture, common faith, and common love are our greatest assets. And, the richer these assets are, the more effectively together we can bring the message of Lord Buddha to the world and give direction to the world” (Modi, 2022a , p. 1). Modi’s above remarks reflected the purpose of his speech, as he wanted to establish a common culture not only in Nepal and India but also all over the world with the vision of providing a new direction to the world. He again added, “Today, we have to work for the whole of humanity. With this spirit, we have to strengthen the spirit of friendship in the world. I am confident that India-Nepal friendship will continue to work together to fulfill this humanitarian resolve” (Modi 2022a , p. 1). His rhetoric of promoting common culture and religion, mainly based on Hinduism and Buddhism, to resolve the problems related to humanity worldwide reflected how Modi aimed to establish the supremacy of Hinduism and Buddhism by excluding other cultures and religions. As Yilmaz and Morieson ( 2023 ) discussed, Modi’s Lumbini speech attempted to establish the superiority of a civilization based on Hinduism and Buddhism worldwide. In the same spirit, the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India’s press release shared, “Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Lumbini also emphasizes the deep and rich civilizational connection between India and Nepal and the contribution of people on both sides to foster and promote it” (Ministry of External Affairs 2022 , p. 1). The above press release revealed the underlying purpose of Modi’s Lumbini address. In addition, similar practices have almost been done in the world, for example, in Pakistan (Yilmaz et al. 2023 ), Israel (Saleem 2023b ), Sri Lanka (Gamage 2023 ), Poland, France, and the USA (Morieson 2023 ), to promote and expand their civilizations based on their religions in the world. Therefore, his rhetorical strategies of promoting Hinduism and Buddhism excluded the other religious and cultural people’s sentiments living in both countries by exposing as if Nepal and India are only Hindu and Buddhist countries. As Yilmaz and Morieson ( 2023 ) reported, Modi attempted to establish the superiority of Hinduism and Buddhism by separating them from other religions in Nepal and India.

Moreover, Modi focused on reshaping and updating the relationship between Nepal and India with the vision of expanding and protecting culture by assisting in developmental sectors in Nepal. For instance, he said:

The relationships that we have had for thousands of years, from food, music, festivals, and customs to family ties, now also have to be linked to new areas like science, technology, and infrastructure. I am satisfied that India is working shoulder-to-shoulder with Nepal in this direction (Modi 2022a , p. 1).

Modi’s rhetorical move from religion to the existing world of science, technology, and development indicated that the relationship between Nepal and India needed to transform based on the changing contexts. However, his desire to promote Indo-Nepal relations by sharing and providing developmental ads in infrastructure, science, and technology directed toward protecting a long-standing single culture based on Hinduism and Buddhism and spreading this between Nepal and India has become his rhetoric of exclusion. To some extent, as studies (Das 2023 ; Sud 2022 ) reported, Modi seemed to expand and promote Hinduism with the support of economic assistance and development work. Further, Modi added, “I see many more great possibilities for expanding our mutual cooperation in this area. Together, we will realize these possibilities and the dreams of India and Nepal. Our able youth will grow to the pinnacle of success and become messengers of Buddha’s teachings all over the world” (Mod, 2022a , p. 1). Modi’s rhetoric of narrative makes much clearer his possible reason for focusing on mutual collaboration on developmental work and his aspiration of spreading a single civilization and religion all over the world, which proved Modi’s civilizational mission in Nepal as stated in the Ministry of External Affairs ( 2022 ). Moreover, as Modi is the prime minister of India, his rhetoric has become a microcosm of India’s strategy of utilizing religion and culture as tools for promoting relations with neighboring countries, particularly Nepal; however, as some studies (Anupam 2020 ; Aryal and Pulami 2023 ; Tripathi 2019 ) reported, Indo-Nepal relations have faced challenges because of territorial conflict, India’s big brother concept, and unequal diplomatic contracts yet.

Conclusion remarks

The overall discussion has identified that Modi utilized rhetorical devices and logical arguments in the narrative of his speech to establish religious and cultural connections between Nepal and India, through which he aimed to achieve his political mission of promoting relations between Nepal and India; however, by promoting Hinduism and Buddhism, his rhetoric excluded other religions and cultures prevailing in both countries. Further, this study introduced a significant discussion on Modi’s rhetoric of political communication by depicting his political motives behind promoting cultural and religious relations between Nepal and India, which required insightful scholarly concerns on his rhetoric of political communication to grasp his further hidden political agenda. In addition, this study indicated that Modi’s political communication, adopting appropriate rhetorical devices and arguments, seemed persuasive; however, this study also revealed that his rhetoric of political communication might equally mislead the audience to fulfill his underlying political mission. Moreover, this study found that Modi’s rhetoric of political communication seemed powerful in utilizing economic ads in Nepal to promote cultures and religions, which demanded insightful scholarly concerns about the underlying mission and purpose behind India’s economic assistance for developmental work in Nepal. I hope future scholarship on Modi’s speech could clarify how the art of deploying rhetorical devices and arguments reinforces promoting and expanding religious and cultural supremacy. Nevertheless, this study can add substantial value to the existing studies on rhetoric and communication by depicting how the special use of rhetoric in political communication can endorse the mission of establishing religious and cultural relationships between Nepal and India and providing a clear direction for further analyzing the rhetorical strategies in Modi’s speeches.

Data availability

All data generated and analyzed during this study are retrieved from website and YouTube, which are listed in the references.

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Ghimire, S.P. Constructing cultural integration through rhetoric in Modi’s speech in Lumbini, Nepal. Humanit Soc Sci Commun 11 , 529 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-024-03000-w

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