Lumbini, the Birthplace of the Lord Buddha
The Lord Buddha was born in 623 BC in the sacred area of Lumbini
located in the Terai plains of southern Nepal, testified by the
inscription on the pillar erected by the Mauryan Emperor Asoka in 249
BC. Lumbini is one of the holiest places of one of the world's great
religions, and its remains contain important evidence about the nature
of Buddhist pilgrimage centres from as early as the 3rd century BC.
The complex of structures within the archaeological conservation area
includes the Shakya Tank; the remains within the Maya Devi Temple
consisting of brick structures in a cross-wall system dating from the
3rd century BC to the present century and the sandstone Ashoka pillar
with its Pali inscription in Brahmi script. Additionally there are the
excavated remains of Buddhist viharas (monasteries) of the 3rd century
BC to the 5th century AD and the remains of Buddhist stupas (memorial
shrines) from the 3rd century BC to the 15th century AD. The site is now
being developed as a Buddhist pilgrimage centre, where the
archaeological remains associated with the birth of the Lord Buddha form
a central feature.
Criterion (iii): As the birthplace of the Lord
Buddha, testified by the inscription on the Asoka pillar, the sacred
area in Lumbini is one of the most holy and significant places for one
of the world’s great religions.
Criterion (vi): The archaeological remains of the
Buddhist viharas (monasteries) and stupas (memorial shrines) from the
3rd century BC to the 15th century AD, provide important evidence about
the nature of Buddhist pilgrimage centres from a very early period.
Integrity
The integrity of Lumbini has been achieved by means of preserving the
archaeological remains within the property boundary that give the
property its Outstanding Universal Value. The significant attributes and
elements of the property have been preserved. The buffer zone gives the
property a further layer of protection. Further excavations of
potential archaeological sites and appropriate protection of the
archaeological remains are a high priority for the integrity of the
property. The property boundary however does not include the entire
archaeological site and various parts are found in the buffer zone. The
entire property including the buffer zone is owned by the Government of
Nepal and is being managed by the Lumbini Development Trust and
therefore there is little threat of development or neglect. However the
effects of industrial development in the region have been identified as a
threat to the integrity of the property.
Authenticity
The authenticity of the archaeological remains within the boundaries
has been confirmed through a series of excavations since the discovery
of the Asoka pillar in 1896. The remains of viharas, stupas and numerous
layers of brick structures from the 3rd century BC to the present
century at the site of the Maya Devi Temple are proof of Lumbini having
been a centre of pilgrimage from early times. The archaeological remains
require active conservation and monitoring to ensure that the impact of
natural degradation, influence of humidity and the impact of the
visitors are kept under control. The property continues to express its
Outstanding Universal Value through its archaeological remains. The
delicate balance must be maintained between conserving the
archaeological vestiges of the property while providing for the
pilgrims.
Protection and management requirements
The property site is protected by the Ancient Monument Preservation
Act 1956. The site management is carried out by the Lumbini Development
Trust, an autonomous and non-profit making organization. The entire
property is owned by the Government of Nepal. The property falls within
the centre of the Master Plan area, the planning of which was initiated
together with the United Nations and carried out by Prof. Kenzo Tange
between 1972 and 1978.
The long-term challenges for the protection and management of the
property are to control the impact of visitors, and natural impacts
including humidity and the industrial development in the region. A
Management Plan is in the process of being developed to ensure the
long-term safeguarding of the archaeological vestiges of the property
while allowing for the property to continue being visited by pilgrims
and tourists from around the world.
Long Description
As the birthplace of the Lord Buddha - the apostle of peace
and the light of Asia was born in 623 BC - the sacred area of Lumbini is
one of the holiest places of one of the world's great religions, and
its remains contain important evidence about the nature of Buddhist
pilgrimage centres from a very early period. Lumbini, in the
South-Western Terai of Nepal, evokes a kind of holy sentiment to the
millions of Buddhists all over the world, like Jerusalem to Christians
and Mecca to Muslims.
Lumbini is the place where the Buddha, known as the Tathagata, was
born. It is the place which should be visited and seen by a person of
devotion and which should cause awareness and apprehension of the nature
of impermanence. The site and its surrounding area is endowed with a
rich natural setting of domesticable fauna and favourable agricultural
environ. Historically, the region is an exquisite treasure-trove of
ancient ruins and antiquities, dating back to the pre-Christian era. The
site, described as a beautiful garden in the Buddha's time, still
retains its legendary charm and beauty.
The birthplace of the Gautama Buddha, Lumbini, is one of the four holy places of Buddhism. It is said in the Parinibbana Sutta
that Buddha himself identified four places of future pilgrimage: the
sites of his birth, Enlightenment, First Discourse, and death. All these
events happened outside in nature under trees. There is no particular
significance in this, other than it perhaps explains why Buddhists have
always respected the environment and natural law.
Lumbini is situated at the foothills of the Himalayas in modern
Nepal. In the Buddha's time, Lumbini was a beautiful garden full of
green and shady sal trees (Shorea robusta ). The garden and its
tranquil environs were owned by both the Shakyas and the clans. King
Suddhodana, father of Gautama Buddha, was of the Shakya dynasty and
belonged to the Kshatriya (warrior caste). Maya Devi, his mother, gave
birth to the child on her way to her parent's home in Devadaha while
resting in Lumbini under a sal tree in the month of May, 642 BC. The
beauty of Lumbini is described in Pali and Sanskrit literature. Maya
Devi, it is said, was spellbound to see the natural grandeur of Lumbini.
While she was standing, she felt labour pains and catching hold of a
drooping branch of a sal tree, she gave birth to a baby, the future
Buddha.
In 249 BC, when the Indian Emperor Ashoka visited Lumbini, it was a
flourishing village. Ashoka constructed four stupas and a stone pillar
with a figure of a horse on top. The stone pillar bears an inscription,
which in translation runs as follows: 'King Piyadasi (Ashoka), beloved
of devas, in the 20th year of the coronation, himself made a royal
visit, Buddha Sakyamuni having been born here; a stone railing was built
and a stone pillar erected to the Bhagavan having been born here,
Lumbini village was taxed reduced and entitled to the eight part
(only)'.
Lumbini remained neglected for centuries. In 1895, Feuhrer, a famous
German archaeologist, discovered the great pillar while wandering about
the foothills of the Churia range. Further exploration and excavation of
the surrounding area revealed the existence of a brick temple and
sandstone sculpture within the temple itself, which depicts the scenes
of the Buddha's birth.
It is pointed out by scholars that the temple of Maya Devi was
constructed over the foundations of more than one earlier temple or
stupa, and that this temple was probably built on an Ashokan stupa
itself. To the south of the Maya Devi temple there is the famous sacred
bathing pool known as Puskarni. It is believed that Maya Devi took a
bath in this pool before the delivery. By the side of the Ashoka pillar a
river which flows south-east and is locally called the Ol. In 1996, an
archaeological dig unearthed a 'flawless stone' placed there by Ashoka
in 249 BC to mark the precise location of the Buddha's birth more than
2,600 years ago. if authenticated, the find will put Lumbini even more
prominently on the map for millions of religious pilgrims.
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