Buddhist
Pilgrimage Tour Kathmandu - Pokhara -
Lumbini (11 days)
In the plain south of the first foothill
of the Churia range, lies Lumbini, birthplace
of Gautama, the Buddha. Lumbini is a sacred
place for Buddhists from all over the world,
standing on an equal footing with holy places
sacred to other world religions. A veteran
Asian traveler and author of several books
writes, 'As millions of Christians look
to Jerusalem for inspiration, as millions
of Muslims turn to Mecca, so do three hundred
million Buddhists see in the sacred Kingdom
of Nepal, a pillar left by the great Emperor
Ashoka to mark the site where Buddha was
born.'
The Sacred Garden where Buddha was born
converges on the Ashoka pillar, which carries
an inscription identifying the spot as the
birthplace of Buddha. Maya Devi, mother
of Buddha, was on her way to her parent's
home in Devadaha. While taking rest in Lumbini
under a Sal tree and admiring the beauty
of the region, she felt labor pains. She
gave birth to the child while holding a
drooping branch of a Sal tree.
In 1895, a German archaeologist, white wandering
about the foothills of the Churia range,
discovered a massive stone pillar erected
by Emperor Ashoka in 250 B.C. to pay homage
to the birth place of Buddha. It is said
that the Indian Emperor visited Lumbini
Garden in the twentieth year of his coronation.
The next visible monument in Lumbini is
the temple of Maya Devi containing a stone
relief depicting the birth scene of Lord
Buddha. The bas-relief shows Maya Devi supporting
herself by holding on to a branch of a Sal
tree, and the newborn infant Buddha standing
upright on a lotus pedestal. Two celestial
figures are engaged in the act of pouring
water and lotuses from the heaven, indicated
in the sculpture by a delineation of clouds.
The Maya Devi shrine has been worshipped
by both Hindus and Buddhists since the beginning
of the Christian era and is believed to
have been built over the foundation of at
least one earlier temple or stupa.
To the South of the Maya Devi temple is
the famous sacred pool of 'Puskarani', believed
to be the same sacred pool in which queen
Maya Devi bathed just before giving birth
to Buddha. It is also believed to be the
same sacred pool in which queen Maya Devi
bathed just before giving birth to Buddha.
It is also believe to be the pool where
the infant Buddha was given his first purification
bath. The structure consists of three projecting
terraces in descending order and is riveted
with fine brick masonry.
Nepal Buddha Temple is built within complex
premises of Lumbini in the same style as
that of modern Buddhist shrines in Nepal.
The prayer hall houses a huge idol of Buddha
while the walls are embellished with medieval
style murals.
Lumbini MuseumThe Lumbini Museum has a large
collection of the Mauryan and Kushana coins,
religious manuscripts, terracotta fragments
and stone and metal sculptures. Also on
display is an extensive collection of stamps
from various countries depicting Lumbini
and Buddha.
Outline
Itinerary
Day
1
Arrival
in Kathmandu. You stay overnight
at hotel in Kathmandu.
Day
2
Sightseeing
tour of Buddhist shrines like
Swyambhunath Stupa. You visit
Pharphing with Monastery visit
& Chovar Gorge. Visit to
Mahaboudha in Patan, Machhendra
Nath, Min Nath and Rudra Varna
Mahavihar. Hiranya Varna Mahavihar
Day
3
Sightseeing
tour of Buddhist Shrines. You
visit shrines such as Chabahil
Stupa & Boudhanath Stupa,
Around Boudhanath stupa there
are so many Stupas visit and
drive to Kopan Monastery for
dinner and stay overnight.
Day
4-5
Stay
in Kopan Monastery.
Day
6
Drive to Changu Narayan and
Bhaktapur. You enjoy sightseeing
in and around here. After
sightseeing half-an hour drive
to Nagarkot to see the spectacular
himalayan range of Langtang,
Ganesh himal, Dorje lakpa,
Pumori, Lhotse, Nuptse &
see sunset. You stay overnight
here.
Day
7
Enjoy
sunrise. On the same day you
drive to Pokhara. You stay overnight
at hotel in Pokhara.
Day
8
Full
day sightseeing of Peace Stupa,
Monasteries & Tibetan Refugee
Camp in Hangja, boating &
cycling tour the lakeside. You
stay overnight at hotel.
Day
9
This
day you drive to Lumbini and
visit Buddhist places &
Lumbini Garden. You stay overnight
at hotel.
Day
10
You
fly back to Kathmandu from Bhairahawa.
You stay overnight at hotel
in Kathmandu.
