Lumbini, Nepal

While a ten day commitment is requested, I actually only stayed for five days in a Vipassana Meditation Retreat Centre on the grounds of Lumbini. What better way to absorb the mood and feel of Siddhartha's birthing place than to study in the form of meditation he was using while he reached enlightenment. There is no cost to enter, but traveller, RESPECT THE CUSTOMS here = no talking, writing, reading, speaking, drugs, drinking, sexual relations, etc, while staying here. You have a strict meditation schedule and meet with a monk/nun once a day (expect basic English) to discuss any difficulties. If you're doing the meditation correctly, there will be difficulties!!! This is a serious place for serious travellers. However, the rewards are many.

Donations are accepted, and recommended, when you leave. Food and lodging are provided to all those interested in the path of Vipassana as a tool to enlightenment, and your donations help keep it available to those less fortunate.

Lumbini is a Buddhist pilgrimage site located in Rupandehi District, Lumbini Zone of Nepal. It the place where Mayadevi gave birth to Siddhartha Gautama, who later became a Buddha and founded the religion of Buddhism.

Buddha lived between approximately 563 BCE and 483 BCE. For Buddhists, this is one of the four main pilgrimage sites based around Buddha, the other three being Kushinagar, Bodh Gaya, and Sarnath.

A world heritage site, the main attraction is a sacred garden spread over 2.5sq km. In 1996 excavations appearantly discovered a piece of stone that indicates the exact spot of the birth of Buddha. There is also a sacred pool where Queen Mayadevi, Buddhas mother took a holy bath before the birth and had a vision of the Buddhas greatness.

It does not take too long to wander around here, however its a great people watching place seeing all the pilgrims coming to pay their repects and say their ptrayers to Buddha. Very peaceful, very spiritual, very uplifting.

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I quite didn’t know what to expect from “the birthplace of Buddha”, except for one thing I could have bet on - masses of pilgrims queuing, walking, or trying to meditate in a overwhelming noise.

Once again, my ignorance and temptation to extrapolate familiar events to different circumstances proved a wrong measure. For Lumbini had the most innocent and simple atmosphere, modest, nothing extravagant or out of ordinary or meant to impress the pilgrims. The birthplace of Buddha seemed to me as simple and clear as a Buddhist monk, covered only in its characteristic clothing, no jewels and no ornaments.

A small lake surrounded by a well maintained park (“sacred garden”) and by the foundations of ancient stupas and Buddhist monasteries, a small pavilion (“Maya Devi Temple”) marks “the exact spot” of this unique event….this is it.

Of course, pressures from Buddhist communities worldwide materialised in a maze of monasteries being build around “the spot” over the last decades. Fortunately, they followed the plans of a Japanese architect (Kenzo Tange), who more or less anticipated the need to keep distance in order not to suffocate the monument itself, and initiated plans for a “development zone”, far away from the “sacred garden” surrounding the temple.

For more info, pics and tips, visit my Lumbini page.

Taking a bus from Lumbini,around 20 minutes you will arrive a village named "Tilaurakot"

After get off the bus you have to hire rikshaw to go further (costs 100-200 Rp.) he will bring you true the charming village,quite busy in a way but after you pass the busy area you will see yellow field full of mastard.Then you will reach the area that was once a palace where Buddha lived when he was a prince.

And eastern gateway where Buddha left his royal life to seek the truth of world outside palace.They also found some ancient terrakotta,human,animal figures,coins,beads around there.

Here you might see some guy walks toward you and begins to introduce this and that,trying to lead you here and there.And ofcourse afterall he asked for money as a 'guide fee' or 'donation' (he didn't help much anyway just to walk in front of us)