The prince is said to have emerged from her right side as she rested her arm on the branch of a fig tree. Immediately after his birth he took seven steps in the four cardinal directions and whenever his feet touched the ground a lotus bloomed

After his powerful birth, prince Siddhartha lived in his father’s place, shielded from the evil and pain of the outside world. His father had been informed by the seers of the time that the prince would be great emperor or become a holy man. Fearing his son would leave the world for religious practice, the king took pains to see that prince Siddharta neither saw nor experienced suffering. Thus, he hoped that Siddhartha would become a great emperor and never dream of leaving the kingdom.

But the age of 29, Siddhartha – who had lived a life of isolated splendor – inevitably ventured outside the castle walls. Outside these walls he encountered sorrow, pain, death and a man whose life was devoted to releasing others from these sufferings. He saw a beggar, a cripple, a corpse and a holy man. These encounters affected the young prince deeply, awakening a deep desire to find the ultimate cause of suffering and thus alleviate it. One night, when all were asleep, he escaped. He cast aside his princely garments, cut his hair, and began the life of a wandering ascetic.

For years he fasted, meditated and spent his time in a rigorous and painful search to find a way to end suffering. On a full moon night in the north Indian town of Bodhgaya, as he meditated under a tree, Siddhartha had a direct realization of nirvana, eternal peace. This transformed the mortal prince into a Buddha.

He spent his life guiding people towards Nirvana, love and friendship. When it was time for him to leave this world, he had thousand of followers to keep Buddhism alive. He left this world (a person who has attained Nirvana is freed from the cycle of life and death) at the age of 84, having exhausted his human body for the sake of all sentient beings.

Lumbini has since, been a holy ground for Buddhists all over the world. The restored gardens and surroundings of Lumbini have the remains of many of the ancient stupas and monasteries. A large stone pillar of erected by the Indian emperor Ashoka in 250 BC bears an inscription about the birth of the Buddha.

An important part of Lumbini is the temple of Mayadevi. It has a stone image of Mayadevi giving birth to Lord Buddha as she holds on to a branch. It has been well worn by the strokes of barren women hoping for fertility. To the south of the temple is a pool where Queen Mayadevi is said to have bathed and given her son his first purification bath.

A quiet garden, shaded by the leafy Bo tree (the type under which Buddha received enlightenment) and a newly planted forest nearby lend an air of tranquility, which bespeaks Buddha’s teachings. Lumbini is now being developed under mastered plan of the Lumbini development trust, a non government organization dedicated to the restoration of Lumbini and its development as a pilgrimage site. The plan, completed in 1978 by the renowned Japanese architect Kenzo Tange, will transform three square miles of land into a sacred place of gardens, pools, building and groves. The development will include a monastic zone, the circular sacred Garden surrounding the Ashoka pillar and Maya Devi temple and Lumbini village, where visitors will find lodges, restaurants, a cultural center and tourist facilities.

An important archeological site near Lumbini, Kapilvastu evokes the ancient palace where Lord Buddha spent his formative years. Scattered foundations of the palace are abundant, and archeologists have by now discovered 13 successive layers of human habitation dating back to the eighth century BC. A most for archeological and historical buffs. Besides its religious and historical significance, Lumbini offers cultural insights into village life of southern Nepal.

Today, Lumbini is beginning to receive travelers and archeologist’s attention after centuries of neglect. Serious preservation work has only just been started in the latter half of this century and Lumbini as a slice of history is worth seeing and worth preserving.......