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Introducing Taulihawa & Tilaurakot
About 27km east of Lumbini, Taulihawa is another sleepy Terai town, but nearby Tilaurakot has been identified as the historical site of Kapilavastu, where Gautama Siddhartha spent the first 29 years of his life. For years, archaeologists waged an ongoing battle with a rival site at Piprahwa in India, but the discovery of artefacts dating back to the time of the Buddha at Tilaurakot have pretty much sealed the deal.
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The site sits in a peaceful meadow, about 3km from Taulihawa, on the banks of the Banganga River, and you can still see the foundations of a large residential compound and the remains of the city moat and walls. However, the ruins have degraded over the centuries and it takes a certain amount of imagination to visualise the city of extravagant luxury that drove the Buddha to question the nature of existence.
Entry to the site is free and the surrounding farm land looks much the same today as it did in the time of Siddhartha Gautama. It isn't hard to imagine Siddhartha walking out through the imposing city gateway for the first time and seeing an old man, a sick man, a hermit and a corpse.
About 400m from the ruins, a small museum (076-560128; entry Rs 15; 10am-5pm Wed-Mon) displays some of the artefacts found at the site, including a large collection of coins and pottery.
Taulihawa was the victim of a major Maoist assault in 2006. Check locally to make sure travel is safe before visiting from Lumbini.
Last updated: Feb 17, 2009
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