According to Buddhist tradition, Queen Maya Devi experienced a vivid dream where a magnificent white elephant, carrying a lotus flower in its trunk, entered her body. This is one of the most famous stories of Buddha. When spiritual advisors – both Brahmins and hermits – were called upon to interpret this dream, they foretold that her child would follow one of two destinies: he would either become a mighty ruler who would conquer the world, or a spiritual leader who would renounce it. 

Lumbini, located in Nepal’s Rupandehi district plains, holds profound significance as the birthplace of Prince Siddhartha Gautam who would go on to become Lord Sakyamuni Buddha and stands as Buddhism’s most sacred pilgrimage destination in the world. The UNESCO world heritage site’s historical significance remained obscured for centuries until archaeologists discovered the Ashoka pillar – a sandstone column that provides definitive archaeological evidence of Buddha’s birthplace. 

The Discovery of The Ashoka Pillar

In 1896 CE, Governor of Palpa Khadga Shamsher Rana, an avid enthusiast of archaeology and history, led an excavation in Lumbini, uncovering a pillar with the assistance of local Nepali villagers. The pillar bore inscriptions, which he was unable to decipher. Khadga Shamsher Rana created impressions of the inscriptions and sent them to India, where they reached German archaeologist Dr. Alois Fuhrer, a prominent archaeological surveyor in British India. Dr. Fuhrer, who was conducting excavations in search of Buddha’s birthplace throughout India, immediately recognized the Pali language and content of the inscription. The pillar, constructed by emperor Ashoka, he concluded, marked the site of Lord Buddha’s birth, making it one of the 19th century’s most significant archaeological discoveries.  Subsequent excavations added further insights into Lumbini’s historical significance. During excavations in 1899, archaeologist P.C. Mukherji discovered a remarkable 4th-century sculpture depicting the birth of Prince Siddhartha (the future Buddha). The carving shows Queen Maya Devi at the moment of giving birth, steadying herself by grasping a tree branch. Her sister Gautami Prajapati stands beside her in a supportive pose. The infant prince appears standing on a lotus flower, while two divine beings hover nearby to receive the newborn. Later, in the 1930s, General Keshar Shumsher organized extensive excavations, revealing the remains of ancient stupas and monasteries, restoring the sacred pond, and reconstructing the Maya Devi Temple.

However, Lumbini’s connection to Buddha’s birthplace was not new. Historical records and travelogues, particularly those of renowned pilgrims and travelers, had long attested to Lumbini as the birthplace of Lord Sakyamuni Buddha. Chinese Buddhist pilgrimage accounts from the 4th century CE detail Lumbini’s shrines and pillars. Seng-Tsai, the earliest recorded visitor around 350–375 CE, described the sculpture of Queen Maya Devi giving birth to Buddha and the stone slab marking his first steps. In the 5th century, pilgrim Faxian documented his journey to Lumbini and Kapilavastu. In the 7th century, Xuanzang, another Chinese pilgrim, described the Lumbini pillar, which featured a horse sculpture and had been broken in half. King Ripu Malla of Karnali visited Lumbini in the 14th century, leaving an inscription on the Ashoka pillar’s top. Over time, however, Lumbini was neglected, becoming overgrown with dense vegetation until its rediscovery.

Emperor Ashoka’s Visit

Ashoka, also known as Ashoka the Great or Ashoka Maurya, was one of the most influential rulers of ancient India, reigning over the Mauryan Empire from around 268 BCE to 232 BCE. He inherited a vast empire, which his grandfather, Chandragupta Maurya, had established across much of the Indian subcontinent. Ashoka is particularly renowned for his profound transformation following the Kalinga War (circa 261 BCE). The intense bloodshed and suffering he witnessed during this conquest reportedly led to a deep shift in his perspective. He converted to Buddhism and adopted a policy of dharma, focusing on moral and spiritual principles that emphasized peace, tolerance, and compassion over military expansion.

In 249 BC, Emperor Ashoka visited Lumbini and erected an inscribed sandstone pillar to commemorate his visit. This 6-meter-tall pillar was constructed by workers in the presence of the emperor, his queen, Buddhist monks, the Mauryan army on elephants and horses, and local residents. It is believed that bull carts were used to transport the pillar to the site. Workers also placed a horse sculpture atop the monolithic column, though this sculpture is now missing. Notably, Ashoka’s pillars throughout the subcontinent featured various animal sculptures, including a bull, a lion, an elephant, and a horse. The inscription engraved by Emperor Ashoka remains intact, providing evidence of the authenticity of the birthplace. The text, written in Pali using Brahmi script, translates as follows: 

“King Piyadasi (Ashoka), the beloved of the Gods, in the twentieth year of his reign, made a royal visit. Sakyamuni Buddha was born here; therefore, the marker stone at the birthplace was worshipped, and a stone pillar was erected. As a result of the lord’s birth here, the tax for the village of Lumbini was reduced to one-eighth.”

The Lumbini Garden and The Birth of Buddha

According to Buddhist tradition, Maya Devi, the queen of Sakya Kingdom and wife of the mighty king Sudhodhan experienced a vivid dream where a magnificent white elephant, carrying a lotus flower in its trunk, entered her body. When spiritual advisors – both Brahmins and hermits – were called upon to interpret this dream, they foretold that her child would follow one of two destinies: he would either become a mighty ruler who would conquer the world, or a spiritual leader who would renounce it. Following the customs of that time, Queen Maya journeyed to her maternal home in Devadaha for the birth of her child.

Queen Maya Devi left her palace in Tilaurakot, Kapilvastu to adhere to tradition by giving birth in her maternal home. While traveling to visit her father, King Suprabuddha Grihapati of the Koliya kingdom, Queen Maya Devi, her sister Prajapati Gautami and their royal entourage passed through the lush Lumbini grove. The garden was a sight to behold – sal trees full of fruits and flowers swayed in the breeze, while the air resonated with the gentle sounds of bees and birdsong.

Captivated by this enchanting setting, the Queen decided to rest in the garden. She took a bath in the sacred Puskarini pond and reached out to grasp a branch of a sal tree. It was at this very moment, while standing and holding onto the branch, that she gave birth to Prince Siddhartha. This momentous event occurred on the full moon day of Baishakha (Vaishakha Purnima) corresponding to 623 BCE in the Gregorian calendar.  The newborn prince stood upright, took seven steps facing north, with a lotus flower blooming at each step. He then looked around and announced “this is my last birth; henceforth, there will be no rebirth for me.” 

Inside the Maya Devi temple, a transparent bulletproof glass panel in the ground marks the precise birthplace of Siddhartha. The Marker Stone was discovered at the same distance and direction noted by the Chinese traveler Hiuen Tsang in his accounts. Excavations also revealed a pre-Mauryan brick structure beneath the current layers of ruins. This evidence suggests that the original Maya Devi Temple was constructed shortly after the birth of the Lord Buddha in Lumbini and has undergone numerous restorations and reconstructions throughout significant historical periods.  The Maya Devi temple is surrounded by ruins of groups of stupas. The stupas were constructed here from through the Mauryan (322 BCE – 185 BCE), Sunga (185 BCE – 75 BCE), Kushana (30 CE – 375 CE) and Gupta (319 CE – 550 CE) periods. 

Early Life of Buddha

Queen Maya Devi passed away seven days after the birth of Siddhartha. He was then lovingly raised by her sister and Siddartha’s stepmother, Queen Prajapati Gautami, in ancient Kapilvastu, the capital of the Sakya kingdom. Upon hearing of his son’s miraculous birth, King Suddhodana invited ascetics to interpret the signs surrounding the newborn prince. Among them, the revered ascetic Asita prophesied that if Prince Siddhartha encountered human suffering, he would renounce worldly life to become a great spiritual teacher. Concerned by this prediction, the king provided Siddhartha with every possible comfort and luxury. At age 16, Siddhartha married Princess Yashodhara, and they had a son named Rahula.

As he grew older, Siddhartha became increasingly curious about the world beyond the palace. During one of his journeys outside, he encountered four pivotal sights: an elderly man, a sick man, a corpse being prepared for a funeral, and a wandering saint. Deeply affected by these encounters, Siddhartha began contemplating how to overcome human suffering. At age 29, he quietly left the palace of Tilaurakot, accompanied by his favored charioteer and horse, departing through the eastern gate. The next morning, he arrived at the Anoma River, where he bade farewell to his charioteer and horse. Donning the attire of a mendicant, he set off barefoot, determined to seek liberation from the endless cycle of birth and death.

Siddhartha spent six years studying with religious teachers and practicing extreme self-mortification, but these rigorous practices brought him no closer to the enlightenment he sought. Realizing that wisdom and liberation required mental discipline rather than physical deprivation, he adopted the “Middle Way” approach, resuming a balanced lifestyle while continuing his pursuit of enlightenment through meditation. After nearly seven years of dedicated effort, Siddhartha finally broke through the barrier of ignorance, achieving enlightenment at the age of 35. He attained Buddhahood under a banyan tree in Bodhgaya on the full moon of Baishakh in 588 BCE. This awakening enabled him to transcend ordinary human experience, and he gained profound understanding of the Three Pillars of Dharma: the Four Noble Truths, the Eightfold Path, and the Middle Way.

Buddha’s enlightenment

According to the stories of Buddha, after attaining enlightenment under the Bodhi tree in Bodh Gaya, Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama initially hesitated to teach, as he felt the dharma (truth) he had realized was too profound and subtle for others to understand. According to Buddhist texts, he spent several weeks in contemplation near the Bodhi tree. However, according to tradition, the god Brahma Sahampati appeared and urged him to teach, arguing that there were beings “with little dust in their eyes” who would understand the dharma. After this intervention, Buddha decided to share his insights.

The first significant act after this decision was traveling to Sarnath (near present-day Varanasi) to give his first sermon to his five former companions who had practiced asceticism with him before his enlightenment. This first sermon is known as the “First Turning of the Wheel of Dharma.” Through the Sanghas, the message of Lord Sakyamuni Buddha spread rapidly, transcending the class and caste barriers in the society. 

According to Buddhist tradition, when Lord Sakyamuni Buddha first taught his five companions in Sarnath, he revealed the fundamental teachings known as the Four Noble Truths. The first truth acknowledges that life is inherently full of suffering and misery (dukkha). The second truth explains that this suffering stems from desire (tanha) and ignorance (avijja), which are identified as the root causes of all human misery. The third truth offers hope by declaring that an end to suffering is possible through achieving nirvana.

Finally, the fourth truth presents the practical path to liberation: the Noble Eightfold Path. This Eightfold Path, being the fourth Noble Truth, was a cornerstone of Buddha’s first sermon in Sarnath and became the foundation upon which all subsequent Buddhist teachings and indeed all the stories of Buddha were built. As a systematic approach to ending suffering, it provided a practical framework that would guide countless practitioners on their spiritual journey. All later Buddhist teachings can be traced back to these fundamental principles first expounded in this momentous sermon, making them truly the bedrock of Buddhist philosophy and practice.

Today, Lumbini receives thousands of devotees every day from all over the world. For over 30 years, Buddhist and non-Buddhist nations alike have contributed to Lumbini’s Monastic Zone, constructing Buddhist monasteries that reflect the diversity of the global Buddhist tradition. To date, 32 monasteries and meditation centers, representing both the Theravada and Mahayana schools, have been established within Lumbini’s monastic enclaves. Each monastery brings its own distinct cultural practices and architectural beauty, enhancing the sacred atmosphere and significance of Lumbini as a place of spiritual unity and reverence for the stories of Buddha that began here.