Lumbini Garden

Lumbini Garden

           By 600 BCE, small gana kingdoms and clan confederations had formed in the southern regions of Nepal. One of them was the Shakya kingdom. By 250 BC, these southern regions came under the influence of the Mauryan Empire under Ashoka. By the 4th century AD the Lichchavi dynasty came to power. By then most of Nepal came under the influence of the Gupta Empire. Those in Kathmandu valley in Nepal are called Kiratas. A Gorkha king named Prithvi Narayan Shah consolidated all the valley kingdoms (including Kirtipur state) by 1769. By 1923 it was internationally recognized as a separate country.      

          Predominantly Hindu, Nepal is known as a Hindu country, but after the Maoist party came to power in the 2006 elections, it became a secular democratic republic. 

        Lumbini Garden is a popular Buddhist pilgrimage site in the Rumapdehi district of Nepal. The earlier name of Rumapdehi was Rammindei. Lumbini is 3.2 km (2 miles) north of Bhagwanpura. According to Buddhist scriptures Earlier it was the place where Queen Mayadevi gave birth to Siddhartha in 563 BCE (563-483 BCE). 

      Siddhartha was born in the Lumbini Garden on a full moon day to Shuddodhana of Sakyagana to Maya devi. Maya devi was resting in the Garden of Lumbini on the way to her birth place and gave birth there. Buddha's birth name was Siddhartha. Maya Devi died after giving birth to siddharth. So Maya Devi's younger sister Gautami became her foster mother and looked after him. Hence Siddhartha became Gautama. In 528 BC when he was 35 years old, Gautama attained enlightenment under the Ravi tree at Buddhagaya near Gaya in Bihar and became the Buddha. Lumbini is one of the many important places associated with the life of the Buddha. After this place Buddha Gaya is another one.

           Emperor Ashoka visited this Lumbini forest in the 3rd century BCE and erected four stupas (monuments), a stone stupa with a horse figure, and inscribed 'Devanam Priyadarshi' (Beloved of the Gods [Ashoka]) on it. Ashoka's inscriptions help to accurately record the history of Nepal. Ashoka also visited the Kathmandu Valley. There he built monuments to mark his visit . Ashoka made this visit 20 years after his coronation. Ashoka built a stone pillar to mark the birth of Shakyamuni Buddha here. Today it is protected by UNESCO.  

       A Mayadevi temple was also built in Lumbini. Many new temples were completed funded by Buddhist organizations from different countries. Many monuments, monasteries, museum, Lumbini International Research Institute are located in Lumbini. Also there is Pushkarini (sacred pond). Here Buddha's mother bathed before his birth. She gave Siddhartha his first bath. At other places near Lumbini, many Buddhists attained enlightenment and eventually attained Nirvana.