The Sacred Garden has been protected by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site since 1997.

The Sacred Garden

The Sacred Garden is the heart of Lumbini. It’s here you’ll find the Marker Stone of Buddha’s birth, the Mayadevi Temple, the Sacred Pond, and the Asoka Pillar.

Prayer flags hang from the trees throughout the Sacred Garden. – © Michael Turtle

The colours of the setting sun at dusk make it one of the prettiest times of day in the Sacred Garden. – © Michael Turtle

Archaeological work around the Sacred Garden has found stupas and monasteries that were built here by pilgrims as early as the 3rd century BC. – © Michael Turtle

Prayer flags hang from the trees throughout the Sacred Garden. – © Michael Turtle

At the heart of Lumbini is the Sacred Garden, the most important place of the entire area, where Buddha was born. It was here that his mother Queen Mayadevi stopped in 623 BC and gave birth to Prince Siddhartha under a sal tree with a full moon shining above her.

The exact location where scholars believe Buddha was born can be seen at the Marker Stone, which has been placed into the ground. Around it is the Mayadevi Temple, a structure that was built to protect this sacred spot. Under the roof of the temple are the archaeological remains of previous places of worship that were built between the 6th century BC and the 5th century AD.

Next to the Mayadevi Temple is the Asoka Pillar, an incredible piece of Buddhist history. It was erected here by Emperor Asoka in 249 BC to commemorate his visit to Lumbini. In the inscription engraved on the pillar in Brahmi script, he proclaims this place to be the birthplace of Buddha.

The Asoka Pillar is one of the most important parts of the Sacred Garden. It was erected here in 249 BCE by Emperor Asoka to mark the birthplace of the Buddha. – © Frank Biasi

For visitors, the Sacred Garden is one of the most peaceful parts of Lumbini. The large pond is said to be the place where Queen Mayadevi had a bath before giving birth to Buddha – and also where he was given his first purification bath. Today, it has a calming effect.

The Sacred Pond, also known as Puskarini, is 25 paces from the Marker Stone. It was probably originally an oval shape but was remodelled as a rectangle in brick in the 1930s. – © Michael Turtle

Beyond the pond, trees offer shade and tranquil places for you to reflect, while prayer flags hang between branches and blow gently in the breeze. In the quiet of the garden, with the birthplace of Buddha within sight and surrounded by the foundations of millennia of devotion, pilgrims sit and meditate.

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