Lumbini, Buddha’s birthplace, its ironies and my misadventures

Maya Devi Temple, the main highlight of my tour. It is believed to be the place where Buddha was born. Siddharta, born a prince, is said to have been born beneath a sal tree. The temple was named after Siddharta’s queen mother Maya Devi. Photo by the author.

Lumbini was in my list of must-see places in Nepal. I visited it out of curiosity of what Buddha’s birthplace was like. While I am not a religious person, Buddhism, among all the religions in the world, resonates with me the most. And, Lumbini is one of the top holy sites for the Buddhists. It is their Mecca.

Taking two to three days from my monthlong stay in Nepal and coming to Lumbini, thus, seemed like an obligation.

But Lumbini, which is located in the Terai plains of southern Nepal close to the Indian border, turned out to be underwhelming, not to mention the long and dusty bus ride from Kathmandu and the subtle harassment I got from the tour guide I hired for one day.

My experiences in Lumbini were punctuated by ironies and ugliness. At first I thought writing about it would be all-zen. A magazine editor had even asked me to write about it before my supposed trip. But it would be too hypocrite of me not to tell exactly what happened and what was on my mind while I was there.

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