When Goutam buddha was in end of his life he tell his followers four major pilgrimage site for buddhist people , which are Lumbini , Bodhgaya , Sarnath and Kushinagar . In Lumbini Maya devi temple is the exact place where buddha was born . Inside the temple there is footprints of baby Goutam Buddha . There is also story that buddha walked seven step after he was born and seven lotus flourished on those spot . This seven lotus points to the seven chakra of human body .
How to reach Maya devi Temple ?
This temple is age old temple where Maya devi gave birth to siddhartha . This temple is is the centre of the ancient complex in Lumbini . Gate no 5 is the nearest to reach to the Maya devi temple . This gate is near to the most of the budget hotels situated here . For coming here , first you have to come to Siddharthanagar(Bhairava). From here local buses are available distance is 26 km fare
Buses are available from any city in Nepal to Bhairava(siddharthanagar) or Lumbini but most of the buses toward Kathmandu and Pokhra starts from Bhairava bus stand . If you are coming from India , nearest border crossing to Lumbini will be soanauli (nearby bid city is Gorakhpur).
If you come by flight , then also nearby airport is in Bhairava . Now , only domestic flight are available but a newly build international airport will be opened here in April 2022 .
Story :
The story starts from 563 BCE or little before . There was a king Suddodhan in the foothills of Himalaya in Kapilavastu . He belongs to Shakya Clan . He married maya devi from the Koliya clan . Once when maya devi was sleeping she watch a dream where a white elephant with white tusk come to her room with white lotus .
In the very next day they called the royal priest to interpret the dream . They said Mahamayadevi is going to birth a boy , he either become a great sadhu (Monk) or become a great emperor . After that when Maya devi was going to birth a son she start a journey toward his parental Home . It is the local tradition to give birth of the first child in the parental home of the wife . In the middle of the way in a full moon beniath a tree Goutam was born . Later goutam spend his his childhood and early youth in the Fort of Kapilavastu . Suddodhan try to give every facility and enjoyment to Goutam so he might not seen the sorrow and pain . Because , Which may motivate him to become Monk .
In one day when he was outside of his palace he saw a sick man , old man and a dead body . Which stuck him very hard in the mind . After that , In one night he renounce his child Rahul , wife Yashodhara and goes in the path of Enlightenment . This incident is called the Mahaniskraman . He left kapilavastu with his sarthi Channa and the horse Kanthak . Later he got enlighten in Bodhgaya under the sacred Bodhi Tree . After he enlighten , in Sarnath he gave his first teaching and established a great religion Buddhism . In the age of 80 he died in Kushinagar .
Inside the white building you can see the actual brick structure which is made in between 3 century BC to 5 th century AD . Before that it was a wood and clay structure . earlier than that , there was a tree , under which buddha was born . Carbon dating of that tree proves that , it was 550 BC which matches Buddha’s life time . Archeologist also found a 10 m long stone piller near this temple . This is Ashoka Piller and in pali script ,it is written about Lumbini . This is the more prominent proof of Buddha’s birth place . This statue was installed in the remembrance of Ashoka’s visit . In 1997 this place have been declared as UNESCO’s World Heritage site .
It looks very old structure inside . I stand in the queue for entry line . Inside there is wooden barrier to the excavated area . By encircling the whole inner chamber finally I reached to the inner part where in a glass covered area , they preserved the first foot print of Buddha . I don’t know actually it is buddha’s footprint or not but people belived and worshipped it .But it is the place of birth for Buddha . I must say that the whole inner chamber is really impressive .
After you enter this conservation area from any gate you need to walk at least a km to reach the Mayadevi temple . For indian the entry fees is 64 NPR and saarc countries is 300 NPR . Every other country is charged 600 NPR. There is different fees for camera and videography but not inside the temple .
Inside the temple there is a big pond (Pushkarini ) and a Garden .Inside the pushkarini there is lots of fish and turtle . Inside the Garden you can see lots of Monk making prayer under the bodhi tree . They also make worship for your problem and tied sacred dhaga( A piece of sacred thread ) in your hand . Just behind in the garden you can see lots of Buddhist flag sending the peace massage of lord Buddha .Inside the garden there is lots of different types of trees . Very peaceful place to meditation . The whole area have been developed by a Japanes architect .
Buddha Purnima is celebrated in full spirit in Maya devi temple . It is the full moon day in Baishakh month when buddha was born . It is celebrated with lighting thousend oil lamps . Another famous festival is ‘shakya Monlam ‘ . It is celebrated in the month of october and November . In this time people all over the world come here and pray . In this Lumbini conservation area there is numerous monasteries of Different Buddhist countries like there is Japanes temple , burmes temple , Thiland temple , korean temple , Korean Temple and lots more .
Summery
Inside the city of Lumbini it is the central point of spiritual world . It is the place where almost 2500 years ago Goutam Buddha was born . On her mother’s name this temple is called Maya devi temple . Later around 249 BC great emperor ashoka visited this place and build a 10 m long monolithic stone piller . People from all over the globe come here to pray and worship .
