Sights in Lumbini
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West Monastic Zone
The West Monastic Zone is set aside for monasteries from the Mahayana school. Starting at the Eternal Flame (just north of the Maya Devi Temple), follow the dirt road along the west bank of the pond to the Panditarama International Vipassana Meditation Centre.
Heading north, a track turns west to the Drubgyud Chöling Gompa, a classic Tibetan-style gompa built in 2001 by Buddhists from Singapore and Nepal. The mural work inside is quite refined and a gigantic stupa is under construction next door. A small track veers south to the tasteful Manang Samaj Gompa, a giant chörten (Tibetan reliquary stupa) constructed by Buddhists from Manang in northern Nepal. Further west is …
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East Monastic Zone
The East Monastic Zone is set aside for monasteries from the Theravada school. The area is less developed than the western zone and the track is bumpier, but many of the monasteries have peaceful woodland settings.
Close to the north end of the pond, the Royal Thai Buddhist Monastery is an imposing wat (Thai-style monastery) built from gleaming white marble. Next door is the rather plain and austere Mahamaya Vishwa Shanti Buddha Vihara, constructed as a joint venture between Japanese Buddhists and the Indian Mahabodhi Society.
A short cycle ride south is the Myanmar Golden Temple, one of the oldest structures in the compound. There are three prayer halls here - the most i…
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Ashokan Pillar
The Indian emperor Ashoka visited Lumbini in around 249 BC, leaving behind an inscribed sandstone pillar to commemorate the occasion. After being lost for centuries, Ashoka's pillar was rediscovered by the governor of Palpa, Khadga Shumsher Rana, in 1896. The 6m high pink sandstone pillar has now been returned to its original site in front of the Maya Devi temple - the pillar isn't much to look at, but it is highly revered by Nepali Buddhists.
King Mahendra of Nepal tried to match the feat with his own column in the 1980s, but it languishes, largely forgotten, at the south end of the park.
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World Peace Pagoda
Easily accessible by bike, the impressive gleaming white World Peace Pagoda was constructed by Japanese Buddhists at a cost of US$1 million. The shining golden statue depicts the Buddha in the posture he assumed when he was born. Near the base of the stupa is the grave of a Japanese monk murdered by anti-Buddhist extremists during the construction of the monument.
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Maya Devi Temple
The Maya Devi Temple sits on the exact site of the birth of the Buddha, according to Buddhist scholars. It’s reputed that it was here where the heavily pregnant Maya Devi came upon a pond of extraordinary beauty amid the thick jungle, and gave birth to Siddhartha Gautama under the auspicious Bodhi tree.
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Great Drigung Kagyud Lotus Stupa
One of the Mahayana monasteries, set around an L-shaped pond. The truly extravagant Great Drigung Kagyud Lotus Stupa is one of the most beautiful temples here and was constructed by the German Tara Foundation. The domed ceiling of the main prayer room is covered in some inspired Buddhist murals.
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Lumbini Crane Sanctuary
The surrounding wetlands are protected as part of the Lumbini Crane Sanctuary and you stand a good chance of seeing rare sarus cranes stalking through the water meadows. There's no formal entrance to the park and no entrance fee - just stroll into the damp meadows behind the pagoda.
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Lumbini Museum
This museum is devoted to the life of the Buddha, with artefacts and photos from Buddhist sites around the world, from Kathmandu to Kandy. The building is an interesting contemporary design, with a series of brick cylindrical blocks fitted with large round windows.
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Zhong Hua Chinese Buddhist Monastery
The elegant Zhong Hua Chinese Buddhist Monastery is one of the most impressive structures at Lumbini. Reached through a gateway flanked by Confucian deities, this elegant pagoda-style monastery looks like something from the Forbidden City.
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Royal Thai Buddhist Monastery
The stunning Royal Thai Buddhist Monastery is an imposing wat (Thai-style monastery) built from gleaming white marble that gives it the appearance of having been carved from ivory.
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Vietnam Phat Quoc Tu Temple
Just north of the Zhong Hua Chinese Buddhist Monastery is the charming Vietnam Phat Quoc Tu Temple, due to be completed in 2006.
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Lumbini Research Institute
Across the road from the Lumbini Museum the Lumbini Research Institute is only open to serious scholars of Buddhist history.
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Museum
This small museum displays some of the artefacts found at the site of Kapilavastu.
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