Lumbini

Counted amongst four holy places of Buddhism, Lumbini is considered to be the Mecca of every Buddhist. It is the birth place of Gautam Buddha and is mentioned in some of the texts that Buddha himself chose the four places of his future pilgrimage—for his birth, enlightenment, first discourse, and death, and Lumbini is one of them. Situated at the foothills of the Himalayas, the tranquil greens of Lumbini were owned by the clans of both the Shakyas and Kolias. King Suddhodana, the father of Gautama Buddha belonged to Shakya dynasty in the warrior caste. It is said that his mother Maya Devi gave birth to Buddha while she was taking rest under a sal tree in Lumbini on her way to her parents’ home in Devadaha in 642 B.C. The spot which is now known as Maya Devi Temple is set in the middle of the park, attracting thousands of devotees every year for its historical and religious worth. None of the temples or monuments at Lumbini got affected by the 2015 earthquake, which is listed amongst UNESCO world heritage site.