Lumbini - The Birth Place of Buddha - 12 Days

Lumbini is the birthplace of Siddhartha Gautam Buddha, the apostle of peace, compassion and non-violence. The broken Ashoka pillar, remnant of an old monastery, images of Buddha's mother Maya Devi, etc. are preserved in Lumbini. The historic importance of the pillar is evident by the inscription engraved in the pillar in Brahmi script. The pillar was erected by Emperor Ashoka in 249 BC to commemorate his pilgrimage to the sacred site. To the south of the pillar is the sacred pond, Puskarni, where Queen Mayadevi had taken a bath just before giving birth to the Buddha and also where infant Buddha was given his first purification bath. The single most important place of the Lumbini and to the entire Buddhist world for that matter is the stone slab located deep in the Sanctum sanctorum. Revealed after hard and meticulous excavations under the three layers of ruins over the site of a famous Maya Devi temple, the stone slab foundation pinpoints the location of the original place-marking the exact spot of the birthplace of Lord Buddha. In addition to Ashokan Pillar, the other Shrine of importance is the bas-relief image of Maya Devi, enshrined in a small pagoda-like structure. The image shows Maya Devi, mother of the Lord supporting herself by holding on with her right hand to a branch of Sal tree, with newly born infant Buddha standing upright on a lotus pedestal on an oval halo. Two other celestial figures are depicted in an act of pouring water and lotuses bestowed from heaven. Our scenic pilgrimage drive includes the best of the wonderful spots of Nepal with a visit to an enchanting Pokhara, nesteld in the tranquill valley at 900m, is also the starting point for many of Nepal’s most popular trekking destinations.