Lumbini Buddhist pilgrimage
Lumbini Buddhist pilgrimage
Lumbini is a Buddhist pilgrimage site located in
the Rupandehi District of Nepal. It is considered to be the birthplace
of Siddhartha Gautama, who later became known as the Buddha. Lumbini
is one of the four main pilgrimage sites related to the life of the
Buddha, along with Bodh Gaya, Sarnath, and Kushinagar.
The sacred site of Lumbini contains many ancient
ruins and monuments, including the Maya Devi Temple, which is built over the
spot where the Buddha is said to have been born. The temple houses a stone
marker that is believed to be the exact birthplace of the Buddha. Other
notable landmarks in Lumbini include the Ashoka Pillar, which was erected
by the Emperor Ashoka of India in 249 BCE to commemorate his pilgrimage
to the site, and several monasteries and meditation centers built by various
Buddhist communities from around the world.
Today,
Lumbini is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and attracts thousands of
Buddhist pilgrims and tourists from all over the world each year. It
is also an important center for Buddhist scholarship and research, with several
academic institutions and research centers located in the area.
Pankaj Mandape
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