Lumbini - Facts and Figures

• Lumbini is the birthplace of the Buddha and it is situated in present day Nepal.
• It is located 22km south-west of Siddharthanagar (Bhairawa).
• Lumbini was visited by the Buddha several times.
• After the Buddha's demise Lumbini became a Buddhist holy place.
• In 249 B.C. Emperor Asoka visited Lumbini and erected an inscribed stone pillar marking the birth place of the Buddha.
• The account of Shui-Ching-Chu of 4th century A.D. recorded the existence of the Asokan pillar and seven stones marking first seven steps of the Buddha.
• Fa-Hsian (403 A.D.) and Hiuen Tsiang (636 A.D.) Chinese travellers visited Lumbini.
• 1312 A.D. Ripu Malla from Kathmandu Valley visited Lumbini.
• 1893 A.D. Major Jaskarna Singh of Nepal rediscovered it.
• 1896 A.D. Dr. Alois A. Fuhrer, German archaeologist excavated the site for the first time.
• 1899 A.D. P. C. Mukherji, Indian archaeologist surveyed and excavated the site.
• 1908 A.D. and 1924 A.D. P. Landon, a renowned historian on Nepal visited Lumbini.
• 1932-1939 A.D. General Keshar Sumsher J.B.R. excavated and restored the site.
• 1967 U.N. Secretary General U. Thant visited Lumbini and made Lumbini
• Development Project an international concern. A master plan for the Lumbini development was prepared by Prof. Kenzo Tange of Japan.
• 1970-1971 A.D. B.K. Rijal, a Nepalese archaeologist located and excavated Lumbini village as mentioned in Asokan Pillar.
• 1992 A.D. an archaeological excavation of the Mayadevi shrine was started with assistant from Japanese archaeologists.
• 25 July 1995 a rare terra-cotta panel depicting Prince Siddhartha at royal ease in his bed chamber with Princess Yosodhara was found at the excavation.
• The image is of Gandhara art and its date could be 4th-6th century A.D. Its size is 68x37 cm.
• On 4th Feb 1996 Prime Minister of Nepal declared the discovery of the exact location of Buddha's birth spot.
• Many construction works according to the master plan have finished e.g. foundation work of the whole project, Lumbini International Research Institute etc.
• Many Buddhist monasteries representing different countries are either complete or under construction. Monasteries from Myanmar, Thailand, Korea, China, Japan, and Vietnam are mostly or partially finished.