Restday in Lumbini: at the birthplace of Buddha

April 24, 2016

Arriving fairly early yesterday, we had time to visit the Maya Devi Temple close to sunset in the Sacred Garden zone. This after walking through the carnival going on just at the edge of the sacred complex. Since Nepali New Year was a few days ago, and near the full moon, we can only surmise this is the reason for the carnival.

There is a master plan for this area of 1 x 3 square miles, with 3 zones one square mile each, linked by walkways. Three zones: Sacred Garden, Monastic zone, and New Lumbini Village. At least that's the master plan and nowhere near completion.

The Sacred Garden is a circular area with the Maya Devi Temple at the center next to the Puskarini holy pond. The rather austere outer building protects the 5th Century foundation of early Temple. What does this Temple protect you ask? The marker stone of the exact birth spot of the Buddha in 623BC.

Maya Devi, the Queen of Sakya King Suddhodana of Kapilavastu passed by Lumbini Garden in the month of Vaisakha poornima (full moon of first month of Nepali calendar) and took a bath. She then poceeded 25 steps north, felt labor pains, grasped a branch of a tree for support and gave birth to Siddhartha. The newborn took seven steps and delivered the message for humanity.

Today we walked then hired a bike rickshaw to take us to the monasteries. This is a good time to hire a guide since the site is not completed, and the connection to which temples are open is not a straight forward route. It's really hard to ride in a bike rickshaw, on one hand we give the guy a job, yet it's hard not to identify with the effort it takes to carry two people on a bike.

During the heat of the afternoon we stay in the room, Rachel doing laundry that dries quickly and Patrick repairing the two tires punctured the last couple of days. We listen to a westerly wind building and plan to leave very early tomorrow. There is a newer hotel nearby where last night we had a great Pad Thai and we plan on returning for tonight's dinner.

Tomorrow we move on with the next goal Bardia National Park and one more hope of seeing a tiger in the wild.

Maya Devi Temple. The exact spot where the Buddha was born lays underneath this temple. It is basically a steel structure supporting a roof and a suspended interior walkway around the historic site. It is so ugly it must have been designed by an engineer.....

This sign probably says it is not allowed to park bikes on the lawn. Laying them down must be okay.

And here is the little guy. After he was born he took 7 steps, raised his finger and made a proclamation.

A golden stupa forms the center of the Burmese temple.

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