Rupandehi
मायादेवी मन्दिर
The spiritual heart of Lumbini — the shrine built over the exact spot where Queen Maya Devi gave birth to Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha.
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Maya Devi Temple marks the traditionally accepted birthplace of Siddhartha Gautama — the Buddha — within the UNESCO-listed Sacred Garden of Lumbini. Pilgrims venerate the marker stone, ancient brick ruins, and the sacred Pushkarini pond beside Queen Maya Devi's shrine.
Birth marker stone, Pushkarini pond, nativity sculpture, sacred Bodhi tree, UNESCO Sacred Garden.
Core of Lumbini World Heritage Site (1997); archaeological layers from Mauryan period onward; among Buddhism's four holiest pilgrimage sites.
Morning darshan → Pushkarini pond → Ashoka Pillar → monastic zone by bicycle or e-rickshaw. Allow half a day.
Welcome to Maya Devi Temple. Twenty-six centuries ago a prince was born here who would teach compassion to the world. Walk slowly — this is living pilgrimage ground.
At a Glance
Location
Lumbini, Rupandehi
Heritage
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Significance
Buddha's birthplace
Sacred pond
Pushkarini
Major festival
Buddha Jayanti
Best time
Oct–Mar (cool, dry)
Heritage
The Maya Devi Temple preserves brick ruins and a marker stone within the UNESCO Sacred Garden. Queen Maya Devi is said to have grasped a sal tree while giving birth here c. 563 BCE. Pilgrims circumambulate in silence; the Pushkarini pond and Bodhi tree complete the devotional landscape.
Visual Journey
Sacred Calendar
Seasonal observances and pilgrimage peaks.
Suggested Schedule
Allow a half day for the temple, pond, and nearby Ashoka Pillar.
Morning pilgrimage
Quiet dawn darshan at the birth marker stone.
Walk the sacred tank where Maya Devi bathed.
Read the Mauryan inscription beside the temple.
Practical Information
Entry
Fee for foreign visitors
SAARC discounts; Nepalis free/reduced
Dress
Modest, shoulders covered
Remove shoes at temple
Photography
Restricted inside shrine
Respect signage
Getting around
Bicycle rental at gate
E-rickshaws for monastic zone
Bhairahawa airport is 22 km away — 45 min by taxi.
8–10 hours by tourist bus; overnight recommended.
Extend Your Journey
Other sacred sites in the Greater Lumbini Area.
From the Community
Pilgrimage films and temple walks at the birthplace of the Buddha in Lumbini's Sacred Garden.
These videos are shared by devotees and travelers. They are not official productions of the heritage programme.
Ashoka Pillar, Lumbini
The Ashoka Pillar at Lumbini is a sandstone column erected by Emperor Ashoka around 249 BCE, bearing a Brahmi inscription that identifies this garden as the birthplace of the Buddha — among the earliest historical confirmations of the site.
Lumbini Monastic Zone
Lumbini's International Monastic Zone spreads east and west of a central canal — dozens of monasteries in Thai, Cambodian, Chinese, Myanmar, and other national styles, including the Ram Janaki Vivah Mandap area within the sacred garden.
Tilaurakot
Tilaurakot in Kapilvastu District preserves the archaeological remains of ancient Kapilavastu — the fortified Shakya city where Siddhartha Gautama spent his first twenty-nine years before renouncing palace life.
Ranighat Palace, Palpa
Ranighat Palace (Rani Mahal) stands on the Kali Gandaki riverbank in Palpa — a 19th-century Rana-era monument built by Khadga Shamsher in memory of his wife Tej Kumari, often called the 'Taj Mahal of Nepal.'
