Lumbini — The birthplace of Gautam Buddha
Lumbnigram, a village called Ruminodei in Nepal, 14 miles from the village called ‘Kakraha’ in Uttar Pradesh near Kapilavastu, the capital of the Shakya Republic, and some distance from the Nepal-India border, is world-famous as the birthplace of Gautama Buddha. This place is ten miles away from Nautanwa station. Buddha’s mother Maya Devi was lying under a shalvriksha at Lumbanigram on her way to Devdah, the capital of Koliagan state from Kapilavastu, at the same time Buddha was born.
History of Lumbini
Buddha was born in Shakya Kshatriya clan of Kapilvastu around 563 BC. Rummindei is about 15 kilometres east of Kapilavastu. It is known from the inscription received from Rummindei that Emperor Ashoka came here twenty years after his coronation. He prayed here because it is the holy birthplace of Shakyamuni. He built a large wall at Rummindei and installed a stone pillar. It is also mentioned in the inscription that he waived the religious taxes of Lumbini village and fixed the eighth part as Malgujari.
Lumbini is also described by Chinese travellers Fahian and Yuvanchwang. According to Fahian, 50 li from Kapilvastu in the east, Lumbini forest Yuvanchwang saw the stupa that Ashoka had built at this place. Probably after the attacks of the Hunas, this place got buried in the dark pit of oblivion. Dr Führer discovered this place in 1866 AD. Since then this place has been recognized as a place of worship in the Buddhist world.
Mentions in texts
There are two references to Lumbini as the birthplace of Buddha in Pali texts, the first in a descriptive poem contained in the Nalak Sutta and the second in Kathavastu. But the earliest accounts of birth are in Sanskrit texts, Mahavastu and Lalitavistara, both of which cannot be considered to be earlier or earlier than the second century.
Discovery of an inscription suggests that the third century BC at this place. The Mauryan emperor of India, Ashoka, came in and considered it the birthplace of Buddha, but this makes it likely that this legend was in the third century BC. Was prevalent since Later the Mauryan Emperor Ashoka built a stone pillar at the place where Buddha was born.
There is a lake near the pillar in which, according to Buddhist stories, the newborn was bathed by the gods. This place remained hidden amidst dense forests filled with animals for many centuries. This place was discovered in the 19th century and it was only from the following inscription of the Ashoka Pillar located here that the identification from Lumbini could be confirmed-
‘Dēvānaṁ piyēna piyadaśinā lājinā vīsativasābhisitēna atana āgāca mahīyatē hidabudhējātē sākyamunīti silāvigaṛabhī cākālāpita silātha-bhēca usapāpitē-hida bhagavaṁ jātēti lum’manigāmē ubalikē kaṭē aṭhabhāgi’ē ca’
That is, the Devanampriya Priyadarshi king (Ashoka) came here and worshipped Buddha on the twentieth year of the coronation.
It was here that Shakyamuni was born, so he built the Shilabhitta here and established the rock pillar. Because Lord Buddha was born in Lumbini village, this village was exempted from sacrifice and was assigned only the eighth part (instead of the seventh) of the land. At the top of this pillar was formerly an ash-idol, which is now destroyed. Several years ago, there has been a crack from bottom to the top due to lightning.
Visit Yuan Chen Wang
Chinese tourist Yuan Chen Wang made a trip to Lumbini during a trip to India. Here’s how he describes it -
‘This garden has a beautiful cave, where Shakya used to bathe. It has an ancient year tree at a distance of 400 pugs. Underneath which the Lord Buddha had descended. On the east side was the stupa of Ashoka. At this place, two serpents made Kumar Siddhartha bathe with hot and cold water. To the south of it is a stupa, where Indra had given a newborn bath. Near it are the stupas of the four kings of heaven who cared for the infant. Near this stupa was a stone stupa, built by Ashoka. On top of this, an idol of a horse was erected. ‘
No signs of stupas are found anymore. Ashwaghosh has mentioned the birth of Buddha in the Lumbini forest. The bar is being developed again as a Buddhist shrine.
