Lumbini Sacred Garden

Lumbini is one of the holiest places on earth — the birthplace of Siddhartha Gautama, who became the Buddha. The UNESCO World Heritage sacred garden encompasses the Maya Devi Temple marking the exact spot of the Buddha's birth, the sacred Puskarini pond where his mother bathed, the Ashoka Pillar erected by Emperor Ashoka in 249 BCE, and an extensive zone of monasteries built by Buddhist nations from around the world.The Lumbini Development Zone features over 40 temples and monasteries from countries spanning the entire Buddhist world — from Thailand, Sri Lanka, and Myanmar to China, Japan, Korea, and Germany — creating a remarkable international pilgrimage city in the Terai plains of southern Nepal.