Sights in The Terai & Mahabharat Range
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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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Janakpur Women’s Development Centre
One of the best-known social projects is the Janakpur Women’s Development Centre, just outside Janakpur in the village of Kuwa. Around 40 Mithila women are employed at the centre, producing paper paintings, papier-mâché boxes and mirrors, screen-printed fabrics and hand-thrown ceramics. The bright colours and animated imagery are both unique and delightful, and the money raised goes directly towards improving the lives of rural women. You can meet the artisans and buy directly from the centre. It’s also worth picking up a copy of the Master Artists of Janakpur, which provides an excellent insight into the lives of several of the artists and how they’ve benefited fro…
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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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Sukla Phanta Wildlife Reserve
Tucked against the Indian border, Sukla Phanta Wildlife Reserve covers 305 sq km of sal forest and phanta (grassland) along the banks of the Bahini River. The terrain is similar to Bardia National Park and the reserve has tigers, rhinos, crocodiles, wild elephants and Nepal’s largest population of swamp deer (currently numbering around 2000) as well as large numbers of migratory birds. Like other national parks in Nepal, Sukla Phanta has been badly affected by poaching and human encroachment.
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Elephant Breeding Centre
About 3km west of Sauraha on the far side of the small Bhude Rapti River, the elephant breeding centre is a must-see sight in Chitwan. Providing most of the elephants for elephant safaris at Chitwan, it’s fascinating watching the interaction between mother and baby elephants, as well as the multi-task use of their trunk (which has a staggering 40,000 muscles), such as covering themselves in dust to ward off mosquitoes or scratching their backside with a bamboo stick.
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Bird Education Society
Run by local volunteers, the friendly Bird Education Society should be the first port of call for twitchers. In a new location on the road to the elephant breeding centre, the society has a library of bird books and a binocular rental service (Rs 50/100 per hour/day) and also has guided birdwatching excursions every Saturday from 7am to 11am. There’s no charge but donations help fund the activities.
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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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Wildlife Display & Information Centre
The new Wildlife Display & Information Centre in Sauraha has educational displays on wildlife, including a rather macabre collection of animal foetuses in jars, skulls, plaster-cast footprints and a collection of animal poo, while the various animal reproductive organs preserved in formaldehyde make for a novel exhibit.
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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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Ram Sita Bibaha Mandir
Almost next door to the Janaki Mandir, this rather bizarre temple marks the spot where Rama and Sita were married. The temple is topped by a modernist interpretation of a tiered pagoda roof and the walls are glass so you can peer in at the kitsch life-sized models of Sita and Rama.
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Mountain Botanical Gardens
The Mountain Botanical Gardens spans over 193 acres of forest full of interesting plant species. February to March is the best time to visit, when the rhododendrons (the national flower of Nepal) are in full bloom, providing a stunning scenery with the Himalaya backdrop.
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Tharu Cultural Museum & Research Center
The informative Tharu Cultural Museum & Research Center in Bachhauli, the nearest Tharu village to Sauraha has colourful murals and exhibits on artefacts and local dress. It’s a must-see for those interested in Tharu culture, and worth visiting.
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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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Tharu Cultural Museum
There’s a tiny Tharu Cultural Museum in Harnari, one of the best villages to get a taste of Tharu culture. It has displays of ornaments and a rakshi distillery pot. If it’s closed, ask around and someone will open it up.
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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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Elephant Breeding Centre
The elephant breeding centre south of the Bardia National Park headquarters is worth a visit in the afternoon for feeding time when the elephants have returned from grazing in the park.
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Mosaic Art Workshop
If you’ve got time to kill in Bhairawa, you can visit the Mosaic Art Workshop which trains deaf Nepali people and girls rescued from circuses in India in mosaics and other crafts.
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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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Karuwa Factory
Karuwa Factory can make for an interesting visit to see the brass jugs that Tansen is famous for being made.
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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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