Lumbini — Maya Devi Temple

Lumbini, in the Terai plains of Rupandehi, is revered as the place where Queen Maya Devi gave birth to Siddhartha Gautama around 563 BCE. The Maya Devi Temple shelters the marker stone and the excavated remains identifying the exact nativity spot, beside the sacred pond (Puskarini) and the Ashokan pillar.

Emperor Ashoka visited in 249 BCE and erected a commemorative pillar whose inscription confirms Lumbini as the Buddha's birthplace. The site was lost to the jungle for centuries and rediscovered in 1896. Today it is the centrepiece of a large master-planned monastic zone designed by architect Kenzo Tange.

Lumbini is one of the four principal pilgrimage sites of Buddhism. Monasteries built by many Buddhist nations surround the sacred garden, making it a global centre of pilgrimage and peace.

The modern protective temple encloses ancient brick foundations and the 'marker stone'. Nearby stand the Ashokan pillar, the Puskarini bathing pond, the Bodhi tree and the surrounding international monastic zone.

Current condition: Excellent; actively managed pilgrimage and archaeological site

Protected and developed by the Lumbini Development Trust with UNESCO and international support; ongoing archaeology continues to study the early shrine layers.