IX. NEPAL - BIRTHPLACE OF THE LORD BUDDHA AND THE HIMALAYAS

DAY 140 - LUMBINI
  
140) MONDAY, 14 NOVEMBER 1977 : 117KMS. - LUMBINI

We left PHARENDA moving up to the north through NAUTANWA until we reached the border checkpoint in SONAULA. It did not take us too long on the side of INDIA. So we crossed the border to NEPAL, we filled out a form of bringing valuables into the country.  Authorities at the border checkpoint of NEPAL were  polite and not too  fussy.  After having a look inside and walked around our campervan, they let us go. We then exchanged some money, US $ 100. - = RS. 1,245. -.

 

LUMBINI, NEPAL - Photo : wikipedia.org / Google images search

We went on driving to  BHAIRAWA and turned to LUMBINI direction in order to pay homage to the birthplace of the Lord Buddha. The most parts of the road were  in good condition throughout since they have been recently completed as one of development projects of LUMBINI, supported by the United Nations. Still some parts of the road  to cross rivers and streams were very bad as they were under construction (with a distance of about 2 kms before arriving LUMBINI). Upon arriving at LUMBINI, we were crossing with 2 tourist buses leaving from the parking area. We were told that they were pilgrims from Thailand. 

Lumbini Bodhi tree - Photo : wikipedia.org / Bing images search

LUMBINI, the birthplace of the Lord Buddha (623 BCE) has been neglected and abandoned without interest in taking good care. There were no major ruins left even the condition of lush tropical gardens may not be visible, though it was once a shady park of the dynasties Shakya and Golya. 

King Ashoka from Maurya dynasty  had ever visited here in 249 B.C. and had a monolithic (Ashokan Pillar) inscribed as having visited the sanctuary and paid homage to the place as the birthplace of the Lord Buddha and hence having ordered  not to collect taxes from villagers of  LUMBINI. 

 

Ashoka Pillar - Photo : nepalsightseeing.com / Bing images search

As told by the Chinese pilgrim Fa-hsien (AD 403), and Hsuan-tsang (AD 636), who visited KAPILAVASTU (KAPILRASTU) and LUMBINI, the area was filled with  ruins of pagodas, temples and palaces. Hsuan-tsang observed a crack of Ashoka pillar caused by lightning (in 1895 the German archaeologist Dr. Alois Anton Fuhrer was walking around the pillar and discovered the crack by chance). However, LUMBINI  was abandoned and neglected for several decades. In the 4^th world conference of Buddhist religion in 1956, the  King Mahendra of Nepal initially donated his private fund to start development of LUMBINI. 

 

Located near Ashoka Pillar, a small chapel was built on elevated ground under the Bodhi tree. Inside the small chapel there was a statue  of the Lord Buddha as an infant standing and  raising his right hand and pointing his index finger upward.  There was also a bas-relief depicting the birth of the Lord Buddha with his Queen mother Siri Mahamaya, the Buddha, ascetics or Brahmins appearing in the vicinity but faces were half-destroyed. I could only see the layout. 

I paid homage to the birthplace and the Buddha statue with incense sticks while contemplating on my good deed of visiting the birth place of Lord Buddha and spreading the merit of worship to reach everyone. There are  monasteries of TIBET and NEPAL  in LUMBINI.  All around the area, many trees have been planted to revive an atmosphere of a lush green park again. 

 

http://munichtomadras1977.blogspot.com

We departed from LUMBINI, passing village market with many people. It looked like a scene in a movie, unusual and interesting. I noticed the way Nepalese people greet each other by WAI or putting their palms together. The younger  firstly greets the elder by WAI and  bent down his body so that his forehead touches the feet of an elder. I was not sure if it was the way a layman greets a priest or dignitary or people of different Hindu castes. 

 

http://munichtomadras1977.blogspot.com

Local market near the birthplace of the Lord Buddha in LUMBINI, NEPAL.