UPSC Essentials: Historical Tidbits- Lumbini- the Buddhist historical site

– PM Modi’s visit to Lumbini last week and laying the foundation of its monastery brought Lumbini to the limelight. Lumbini is located across the border from Gorakhpur in the Rupandehi district of Nepal’s Lumbini province. Lumbini was made a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1997.

What is the significance of Lumbini in history?

– The Lord Buddha was said to be born in 623 BC in Lumbini located in the Terai plains of southern Nepal.

– Ashoka, the king of ancient India, had erected one of his commemorative pillars there. The site is now being developed as a Buddhist pilgrimage center. Here, the archaeological remains associated with the birth of the Lord Buddha form a central feature.

-The Lumbini complex structures include- the Shakya Tank, the remains within the Maya Devi Temple, the sandstone Ashoka pillar with its Pali inscription in Brahmi script, the excavated remains of Buddhist viharas (monasteries) of the 3rd century BC to the 5th century AD, the remains of Buddhist stupas (memorial shrines) from the 3rd century BC to the 15th century AD.

What does Buddhist literature have to say about Lumbini?

-Lumbini Garden is described in Buddhist literature as a Pradimoksha-Vana (sin-free forest), containing grooves of sal trees, beautiful flowers, birds, and natural landscapes. It was built by Anjana, king of the Koliya clan, for his queen Rupadevi or Rummindei, pronounced “Lumindei” in the Magadhi language, hence the name Lumbini, according to some historians. (Others believe the name was given by the emperor Ashoka later.)

– According to Buddhist literature, Lumbini was located on an ancient trade route passing through Kapilavastu (present location uncertain), Kushinagar (in modern-day Uttar Pradesh), and Vaishali, Pataliputra, Nalanda, and Rajgriha (all in today’s Bihar). There were shops, eating places, and rest houses for both the elite and common people along the route.

What is the legend about Buddha’s birth in Lumbini?

-According to Buddhist legend, Mayadevi was passing through a grove of sal trees in Lumbini on her way to Devdaha from Kapilavastu, when she began to experience labor pains.
-The baby is said to have emerged from her armpit and announced that this would be his last birth and that he would not be reincarnated

-The birth of the Shakya prince Siddhartha Gautam is dated to 563 BC (480 BC according to some traditions). He is believed to have died aged 80 in 483 BC (or 400 BC).

-In 249 BC, the emperor Ashoka erected a pillar marking the place where the Buddha was said to have been born.

– According to a Buddhist tradition, ascetic seer Asita visited Kapilavastu during the birth celebrations of Siddhartha. Asita announced after seeing the child that he would either become a great king or a great religious teacher.

What else does historical evidence tell us about Lumbini?

– Cultural deposits dating to the 6th century BC have been discovered at Lumbini.

– The Chinese monks Faxian (Fa-Hien) and Xuanzang (Huien Tsang) visited the site in the 5th and 7th centuries AD respectively, and their accounts were used by antiquarians in the 19th century in an effort to locate Lumbini.

Why is Ashoka important for the history of Lumbini?

– The 3rd century BC was a watershed moment in the history of Lumbini and Buddhism. After the war of Kalinga, the emperor Ashoka converted to Buddhism. He committed himself to promoting the spread of the religion.

-Ashoka visited Lumbini, and in 249 BC, built a large temple-like structure over the birthplace of Buddha and erected a sandstone pillar containing inscriptions to memorialize his pilgrimage.

-A portion of the pillar survives today, with 4 meters below the ground and 6 meters above. Descriptions of travelers suggest the original pillar was several meters taller, with inverted lotus capital and an animal image on top, according to historians.

– The inscription on the pillar, in the Brahmi script of the language Pali, says Ashoka prayed at the birth site of The Buddha, and that pilgrims would be exempt from all religious taxes.

– In 1312, the Khasa-Malla King Ripu Malla engraved the Buddhist mantra, ‘Om Mani Padme Hum’, and his name on the pillar.
– Lumbini was forgotten for many centuries. It was rediscovered in 1896, and excavations were conducted at the site.

Point to ponder: Which other sites associated with the life of Buddha are of historical importance?