Lumbini, the birthplace of Lord Buddha, is a Buddhist pilgrimage site located in the Rupandehi district of Nepal. Queen Mahamayadevi, on the way from her home in Kapilvastu to her parents’ home, gave birth to the Lord Buddha after she suddenly went into labour at a beautiful garden, which is now known to the world as Lumbini.
A Lifetime Adventure with a Well-Organized, Friendly Team
A Lifetime Adventure with a Well-Organized, Friendly Team
A superb trip – well organized and delivered. The team were friendly, experienced and well-organized throughout. Thank you for a trip of a lifetime for us all. I will definitely recommend you to others.
A Journey of a Lifetime
A Journey of a Lifetime
During the Inca Trail last year, the idea of hiking to Everest Base Camp matured. I contacted Passang from Highland Expeditions during December and was impressed by the speed and accuracy of the provided information.
After the exchange of some mails I booked the trip for the second half of September, just after the monsoon.
Phunu Sherpa picked us up at the airport, and once in the hotel Passang, the owner of the company, was also present to greet us. Immediately the next day we flew to Lukla and our 9 day hike started. Phunu was a great guide, with an incredible knowledge and experience of the Sagarmatha National Park, which is the park you’re walking through during the next 9 days !
This trek is really a ‘once in a lifetime experience’, but do not underestimate … it’s not a walk in the park but rather a physically tough ride. Walking above 5,000 m is demanding a lot of your body. But the apotheoses at the end with the visit of base camp, the view of these huge mountains you can almost touch and the sunrise the next morning from Kalapatthar, is unforgettable.
A part of the luxury version are the better lodges, especially during the first 4/5 nights of the trip. But also the return at the end of the hike, after reaching base camp, with a helicopter was an amazing experience.
Hiking in such an amazing area requires respect for nature ! This is exactly where Highland Expeditions stands for. A professional company with an important respect for nature and local people.
Want to add EBC Trek to your bucket list … I can only suggest Highland Expeditions.
Top 10 facts about Lumbini
1. Lumbini during the birth of Lord Buddha (623 BC) was a beautiful garden which was commonly maintained by the Sakya of Kapilvastu and Koilya of Devadaha
2. After the death of the Buddha, the beautiful garden of Lumbini changed into a place of pilgrimage
3. Emperor Asoka made a Royal Pilgrimage to the birthplace of the Lord Buddha, Lumbini in 249 BC. Here he worshipped the birth-spot of the Buddha and left behind many monuments to propagate the Dhamma. Asoka erected the pillar with an inscription to commemorate his visit, which is now commonly known as Asoka Pillar.
4. Lumbini was rediscovered in 1st December 1896 by Dr Fuhrer (German) and Khadga Shumsher Rana (a Nepali scholar). They excavated the Lumbini mound and exposed the Asoka Pillar and discovered famous inscription mentioning the Birthplace of the Sakyamuni Buddha in Lumbini
5. In 1933-39 General Kesher Shumsher conducted a major excavation at Lumbini. He exposed structures by unscientific methods that resulted in the great damage to the site. He enlarged the Sakya pool with a series of steps and a brick perimeter.
6. On the occasion of the 4th General Conference of The World Fellowship of Buddhists held in Kathmandu in 1956. The participants felt the urgency of the need to restore the Sacred garden of Lumbini
7. The international committee for the development of Lumbini was formed in New York in 1970. The committee awarded consultancy to design a Master plan for Lumbini to the world-renowned architect Prof. Kenzo Tange from Japan.
8. In 1997, Lumbini was listed in the list of world’s heritage sites.
9. Before he passed away in Kusinara, Lord Buddha said: “This (Lumbini) place is where the Tathagata was born, this is a place which should be visited and seen by a person having faith, devotion and mindfulness which would cause the awareness and apprehensive nature of impermanence.”
10. Today pilgrims and visitors from all over the world come to Lumbini, the timeless place where ancient monuments mark the authenticity of the birthplace.
The Other Sacred Sites of the Lord Buddha
– Siddhartha Gautam (Lord Buddha) was born in Lumbini.
– At the age of 29, he took the great renunciation
– At the age of 35, he was enlightened in Bodhgaya
– He preached for the first time at Sarnath
– And at the age of 80, he passed away in Kusinara.
Sources and Work of Dr Prof Bidari
