Sacred Place
Lumbini
The traditionally accepted birthplace of Siddhartha Gautama (Shakyamuni Buddha), in present-day Rupandehi District, Nepal — one of Buddhism's most significant pilgrimage sites and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- Type
- Pilgrimage site
- Location
- Rupandehi District, Lumbini Province, Nepal
History & Significance
Lumbini's identification as the Buddha's birthplace is supported by an inscribed sandstone pillar erected by the Mauryan emperor Ashoka in the 3rd century BCE, discovered at the site in 1896, which records his pilgrimage there and confirms it as the birthplace "of the Buddha, the sage of the Shakyas."
The site today includes the Maya Devi Temple (marking the traditional birth spot), the Ashokan pillar, a sacred pond, and the remains of ancient monasteries, and functions as an active pilgrimage destination and archaeological zone.