Asian Geographic

Lumbini

- Lord Buddha spoke of the four sacred places that every believer should visit: Lumbini, where he was born; Bodh Gaya, where he found enlightenm­ent; Sarnath, where he gave his first sermon; and Kushinagar, where he attained beatificat­ion

The Birthplace

Lumbini is where Lord Buddha was born as Prince Siddhartha in 623 BC. Today, this is one of the holiest shrines for Buddhists. Its archaeolog­ical history is also of interest to non-believers. The holy site near the IndoNepale­se border is surrounded by a zone where only monasterie­s are allowed to be built; the eastern zone houses the Theravadin monasterie­s, whereas the western area is home to the Mahayana and Vajrayana monasterie­s. Lumbini has numerous ruins, as well as the sacred bodhi tree, an ancient bathing pond, the Ashokan pillar and the Mayadevi Temple, where the Buddha was rumoured to have been born. Pilgrims from all over the world flock to this site to chant and meditate.

?? ??

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from Australia