A Place of Peace and Inspiration Rooted in Tradition
Built in the centuries-old traditional
Tibetan Buddhist style, the Thousand Buddha Temple will be an entirely
self-contained Buddhist community. The main shrine hall will be vast,
easily accommodating a thousand worshipers—particularly the 1,000 monks
and nuns performing the annual Monlam Chenmo, World Peace Prayer
Ceremony as well as other pujas all throughout the year. From time to
time, the enormous hall will even serve as the meeting place for
important events, such as Buddhist as well as interfaith conferences.
Three 25-foot statues of the Buddhas of
the Three Times, exquisitely rendered in copper and the finest
gold-gilding, will grace the temple’s centermost shrine. The altar will
be adorned by gilded statues of the 16 Arhats, and embellished by
one-thousand 18-inch gold statues of Buddha Sakyamuni. Murals depicting
the “12 Acts of the Buddha” will ornament the four walls. Thus, the
Thousand Buddha Temple will provide a cool, quiet haven for pilgrims to
rest in meditation and absorb the powerful blessings of Lord Buddha’s
legacy.
Central to the second floor will be a
spacious meditation hall, large classrooms and a private audience
chamber adorned with a magnificent gilded statue of the Lord of
Compassion—the thousand-armed Avalokitesvara—surrounded by statues of
the seven other Maha-Bodhisattvas. Smaller chapels will accommodate
images of other deities, such as Guru Padmasambhava, surrounded by the
Lineage Masters, and the 21 manifestations of Tara.
The topmost floor will support an extensive library of thousands of rare
and precious manuscripts of all the Buddhist philosophical schools
preserved in Tibetan, Sanskrit, Pali and Chinese as well as
contributions of texts in other languages. Comfortable guestrooms will
be located nearby for visiting high Lamas.
From this upper floor, the entire
complex will be majestically presided over by ethereal Vajradhara,
flanked by Amitayus and Amitabha, in the form of gilded statues.
Adorning the courtyard below will be a stupa and manicured floral
gardens. Monastic living quarters, guestrooms for devotees, a spacious
dining hall, and other facilities will also be included in the enclosed
courtyard.
Lumbini,
apart from its spiritual and religious significance, also fascinates a
large number of naturalists, botanists and zoologists. Visitors can see a
wide variety of sub-tropical shrubs, herbs, flowers and plants, which
serve as a habitat for hundreds of birds and animal species. The habitat
area of the Lumbini Master Plan consists of 58 percent grassland, 40
percent secondary forest and 2 percent wetland that includes rivers and
ponds. Lumbini harbors indigenous plant species as well as plants
associated with the Buddha's life: mango, jackfruit, Bodhi tree, bamboo,
Arjuna, Ashoka and Zyzyphus berry. The Telar River , in which the
infant
Buddha
was bathed, is an important natural environment in atural
Bio-conserving the ecosystem of the area. The Lumbini habitat harbors
more than 250 species of birds. The Sarus Crane, Lesser Adjutant, Indian
Spotted Eagle, Lesser Adjutant Stork, White Necked Stork, Black Stork,
Purple Heron,Lesser Whistling Teal, Cormorants and different species of
Egrets are found here.
The
area also harbors endangered animals and reptiles such as the Blue
Bull, python and Monitor Lizard and unique mammal families like the
Bengal Fox, Asiatic Golden Jackal, Jungle Cat and Grey Mongoose, among
others. In 1997, surveys of the wetlands and the renovated pond
commenced to see how they could be recharged during and after the
monsoon. Wetland "A" has a 130 m long dyke while Wetland "B" has a 105 m
dyke. The pond has witnessed the return of many bird species. Aquatic
vegetation includes the typha, hydrilla, pondweed and eleochris. 
Nepalese
and international Monasteries/ Vihars representing vernacular
architecture and culture of different Buddhist countries and Buddhist
traditions fascinate the visitors to Lumbini. The Royal Thai Monastery
(Thailand) , Monastery of Mahabodhi Society of Kolkatta, Myanmar
Monastery (Myanmar), International Nuns' Temple (Nepal), Dhamma Janani
Meditation Center (Nepal), Sri Lankan Monastery(Sri Lanka), Cambodian
Monastery (Cambodia) are worth visiting monasteries in the east monastic
zone. 
The
Great Lotus Stupa (Tara Foundation, Germany), Drigung Kagyud Meditation
Centre (India), Sokyo Temple (Japan), Linhson Monastery (France),
Chinese Monastery (China), Korean Mahabodhi Society Monastery (South
Korea), Vietnam Phat Quoc Tu (Vietnam), Geden International (Austria),
Manang Monastery (Nepal), Dharmodaya Sabha Monastery (Nepal),
Panditarama Meditation Center (Myanmar) in the West Monastic Zone
attract a large number of pilgrims and visitors in Lumbini. Lumbini
Museum, Lumbini International Research Institute, World Peace Pagoda
(Japan), Eternal Peace Flame, Peace Bell, and Crane Sanctuary add to the
beauty and serenity of Lumbini. 
The
master plan covers an area of 1*3 sq. miles, comprising three zones of a
square mile each. The three zones are linked with walkways and a canal,
these are: 
The
Monastic Zone is situated in the middle with a forest area between the
Sacred Garden and the New Lumbini Village . The zone is divided into two
Monastic enclaves by a Centre Canal . There are 13 plots of land in the
East Monastic Zone and 29 in the West Monastic Enclave, having 42 plots
in total each allotted for the construction of new monasteries of
Theravada and Mahayana schools of Buddhism.
The
northern part of the master plan area is being developed as the New
Lumbini Village. It is also a gateway to the outer world, where the
visitors can find comfortable hotels and restaurants offering necessary
facilities. The World Peace Pagoda of Japan and the Crane Sanctuary are
located here.
In
1978, the Master Plan designed by Prof. Tange was finalized and
approved by the Government of Nepal and United Nations. In the meantime,
Government of Nepal was directly involved in the planning and
development of Lumbini through formation of Lumbini Development
Committee. The committee acquired necessary land, relocated the villages
and commenced the development of basic infrastructures including
forestation program in the planned area. The master plan thus changed
the face of Lumbini. In 1985, the Lumbini Development Trust Act came
into existence and Lumbini Development Trust (LDT) was formed
accordingly. Now the Trust is responsible for the implementation of the
master plan and for the overall development of Lumbini, and other
Buddhist sites of Kapilavastu, Devadaha and Ramagrama.
The
historical pillar was erected by Emperor Asoka in 249 BC bears the
first epigraphic evidence with reference to the birthplace of Lord
Buddha. It is the most noteworthy monument and an authentic historic
document of birthplace of Lord Buddha in Lumbini. The inscription
engraved by Emperor Asoka is still intact and testifies the authenticity
of the birthplace. The text written in Brahmi script and Pali language
is translated as follows: "King Piyadasi (Asoka), the beloved
of the Gods, in the twentieth year of reign, himself made a royal visit.
Sakyamuni Buddha was born here, therefore, the (birth Spot) marker
stone was worshipped and a stone pillar was erected. The lord having
been born here, the tax of the Lumbini village was reduced to the eighth
part (only)".
Close
by the Asoka pillar on the southern side lies the holy pond, Puskarini
where Maya Devi bathed just before giving birth to prince Siddhartha and
the infant prince is believed to have given first purification bath.
The pond has terraced steps and is riveted by beautifully layered
bricks.
The
image of Maya Devi, also known as the Nativity Sculpture dates back to
4th CE, which depicts the nativity scene, Maya Devi, holding a branch of
a tree with her right hand for support in the time of her delivery.
Next to her Gautami Prajapati, her younger sister, in supporting posture
is standing. The newly born prince Siddhartha is standing upright on a
lotus pedestal, with two celestial figures receiving him.
This
stone conglomerate located deeply buried in the sanctum sanctorum
pinpoints the exact birth spot of the Buddha, which was discovered after
a meticulous excavation of the old Maya Devi Temple in 1996. The Marker
Stone was found in the same distance and direction as mentioned by
Hiuen Tsang, the Chinese traveler in his travel account. The size of the
marker stone is 70cmx40cmx10cm.
The
Maya Devi Temple shrine is the heart of all monuments at this holy
site. The complex also bears the testimony of several layers of
construction over the centuries. The main object of worship here is the
Nativity Sculpture. The restored Maya Devi Temple was reopened on May
16, 2003 on 2547th birth anniversary of the Buddha. The government of
Nepal , and LDT jointly restored the temple. The ground floor consists
of the remains of the foundations of the early Maya Devi Temple that
dates back to 3rd century BC. The sanctum sanctorum is the birth spot of
the lord Buddha in the temple.
For 500 million devout Buddhists worldwide, Lumbini is where it all began.
Lumbini
Garden changed into a pilgrimage site soon after the Mahaparinirvana of
the Lord Buddha. A monastic site evolved around the sacred spot of the
Buddha's birth. The birth-spot being the most important point in the
whole of the holy land of Lumbini drew attention of generous devotees
who erected structures to pay homage to the great master. These
constructions were of religious nature along the religious complex and a
civic settlement emerged to meet the growing need of the religious
community visiting or living in the holy complex.
The Buddha asked his followers to visit Lumbini and three other places from his deathbed at the age of eighty at Kushinagar.
Buddhist
literature places lumbini between Sakya kingdom of Kapilvastu and
Koliya kingdom of Devadaha to the east. Twenty eight km. east of lumbini
lies Tiraulakot, the capital of the Sakyas and thirty two km east of
Lumbini is Devadaha, the capital of the Koliyas. It was a beautiful
pleasure or recreation garden collectively maintained by both the
kingdoms during the lifetime of the lord Buddha.
Lumbini
lies in the Rupandehi district of Lumbini zone of western Nepal . It is
20 Km from the Gautam Buddha airport, Siddhartha Nagar and 27 km. from
the Indian Border, Sunauli.
