Lumbini Pilgrimage

About this journey

Lumbini is where Siddhartha Gautama was born in 623 BCE, UNESCO-listed since 1997. The Maya Devi Temple stands over the marker stone identifying the exact spot, beside the Ashoka pillar inscribed in 249 BCE and the sacred pond where his mother is said to have bathed. Around it, the monastic zone holds temples built by Buddhist nations from Thailand to Germany. It is flat, hot and quiet, and it rewards an unhurried visit.

Highlights

• Maya Devi Temple and the marker stone
• The Ashoka pillar, inscribed 249 BCE
• Puskarini, the sacred pond
• The international monastic zone
• Kapilvastu at Tilaurakot, a short drive west

Permits

• Lumbini Development Trust entry ticket

We process these for you. Bring your passport and passport photographs.

Getting there

• Tourist bus from Pokhara, roughly 8 hours
• Or fly to Bhairahawa (Gautam Buddha airport), 30 minutes by road
• Cycle rickshaw or electric cart inside the monastic zone