Lumbini

Lumbini (pronounced [/lʊmˈbiːni/] , "the lovely" or "beautiful garden") is a Buddhist pilgrimage site in the Rupandehi District of Lumbini Province in Nepal. According to sacred texts and Buddhist commentaries, Queen Maya gave birth to Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha, in Lumbini, c. 563 BCE. Lumbini is one of the four most sacred pilgrimage sites pivotal in the life of the Buddha. Lumbini has a number of old temples, including the Mayadevi Temple, and several new temples funded by Buddhist organizations from various countries, a few of which are still under construction. Monuments, monasteries, stupas, a museum, and the Lumbini International Research Institute are also near to the holy site. There is a puskarini, or holy pond, where Mayadevi, the Buddha's mother, is believed to have taken ritual cleansing prior to his birth, and where he was first bathed. At other sites near Lumbini, earlier Buddhas were born, achieved ultimate Enlightenment and finally relinquished their earthly forms. Lumbini was made a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1997.