Festivals & Events

Lumbini: a Southeast Asian Buddhist's guide to the birthplace of the Buddha

For Thai, Singaporean and Malaysian Buddhists, Lumbini is the ultimate pilgrimage — the very place the Buddha was born. Here's how to visit it…

By Laxman Rawal · Jun 12, 2026

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Every Buddhist knows the four great pilgrimage sites of the Buddha's life. The first — his birthplace — is in Nepal. Lumbini, in the country's southern plains, is where Queen Maya Devi gave birth to Siddhartha Gautama some 2,600 years ago, and for Buddhists…

Travel Himalaya Nepal · News

What you will find at Lumbini

The sacred garden at Lumbini centres on the Maya Devi Temple, which shelters the exact spot traditionally marked as the Buddha's birthplace, beside the pool where Queen Maya is said to have bathed and the ancient Ashoka Pillar that records the emperor's…

Travel Himalaya Nepal · News

How to make the journey

Most Southeast Asian pilgrims fly into Kathmandu — direct from Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok, easily connected from Singapore, Jakarta and Manila — and combine the Kathmandu Valley's great Buddhist stupas with a trip down to Lumbini. Lumbini has its own airport at…

Travel Himalaya Nepal · News

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