Lumbini

Lumbinī (pronounced [ˈlumbini] ^ⓘ, "the lovely") is a Buddhist pilgrimage site in the Rupandehi District of Lumbini Province in Nepal. The Buddhist commentaries state that Maya Devi gave birth to Siddhartha Gautama in Lumbini around 624 BCE. Gautama is believed to have achieved Enlightenment in Bodh Gaya, India and became the Buddha who founded Buddhism. It is claimed that he died and passed into parinirvana at the age of 80 years, in c.544 BCE. Lumbini is one of the four most sacred pilgrimage sites pivotal in the life of the Buddha.

Lumbini has several old temples, including the Mayadevi Temple, as well as several new temples built by Buddhist organisations from around the world. The majority of the temples have already been completed, with some still under construction. Many monuments, monasteries, stupas, a museum, and the Lumbini International Research Institute are located near the holy site. The Puskarini, or Holy Pond, is where Mayadevi, the Buddha's mother, is said to have taken the ritual bath before his birth, and where the Buddha himself took his first bath. Earlier Buddhas were born near Lumbini, attained ultimate Enlightenment, and eventually abandoned their earthly forms.

Lumbini was made a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1997.