For U.S. citizens and British citizens, passports are required for entry
into Morocco, but a visa is not required for stays up to three months.
Mohammed V International Airport (CMD) is the main international airport
and is located in Nouasseur, which is approximately 25 km (15 miles)
from 
Morocco has a variety of 
Morocco is a land rich in natural beauty and unforgettable places that
are both fascinating to visit and intriguing to explore. For those who
want to immerse themselves in Moroccan culture and history there are
hundreds of 
Moroccan culture is rich is history, the arts and sciences. Throughout Morocco there is a wide choice of museums such as 
Lumbinī
(Sanskrit: लुम्बिनी, "the lovely") is a Buddhist pilgrimage site in the
Rupandehi district of Nepal, near the Indian border. It is the place
where Queen Mayadevi is said to have given birth to Siddhartha Gautama,
who as the Buddha Gautama founded the Buddhist tradition. The Buddha
lived between roughly 563 and 483 BCE. Lumbini is one of four magnets
for pilgrimage that sprang up in places pivotal to the life of the
Buddha, the others being at Kushinagar, Bodh Gaya, and Sarnath.
Lumbini
is in the foothills of the Himalaya, 25 km east of the municipality of
Kapilavastu, where the Buddha is said to have lived till the age of 29.
Kapilvastu is the name of the place in question as well as of the
neighbouring district. Lumbini has a number of temples, including the
Mayadevi temple, and others under construction. Also here is the
Puskarini or Holy Pond - where the Buddha's mother took the ritual dip
prior to his birth and where he, too, had his first bath - as well as
the remains of Kapilvastu palace. At other sites near Lumbini, earlier
Buddhas were, according to tradition, born, achieved ultimate awakening
and finally relinquished earthly form.
In Buddha's time
In
the Buddha's time, Lumbini was a park situated between Kapilavastu and
Devadaha in India. It was there that the Buddha was born. A pillar now
marks the spot of Asoka's visit to Lumbiní. According to an inscription
on the pillar, it was placed there by the people then in charge of the
park to commemorate Asoka's visit and gifts. The park was previously
known as Rummindei, two miles north of Bhagavanpura.
In the Sutta Nipáta (vs. 683) it
is stated that the Buddha was born in a village of the Sákyans, in the
Lumbineyya Janapada. The Buddha stayed in Lumbinívana during his visit
to Devadaha and there preached the Devadaha Sutta.
For centuries, Buddhists- all
over the world, knew that Lumbini where the Lord was born is somewhere
around. The descriptions of famous Chinese pilgrims (of ancient times)
Huian Tsang and Faeihan indicated to this area-saying ‘Lumbini-where the
lord was born is a piece of heaven on earth and one could see the snowy mountains amidst a splendid garden-embedded with stupas and monasteries!
Orientation and Information
The
main archeological sites are located in the Sacred Garden. The newer
temples are located north of the Sacred Gardens and some of them are in
the new Master Plan area and some aren’t.
There
is a tourist information booth is near the parking area at the entrance
of the Sacred Garden. They may be able to arrange a guide. One of the
Lumbini Development archeologists can provide good information about the
site.
You can change money at the Nepal Bank of Ceylon, in Buddha Nagar on the main road (Sunday to Thursday, 10 am to 2 pm, Friday, 10 am to noon).
History
It
is believed that the Sacred Garden was made after the Buddha’s death
and that there was at least one Buddhist monastery here when Emperor
Ashoka visited. The Indian Emperor Ashoka came to Lumbini in 245 BC and
erected one of his famous pillars here. In 636 Hsuan Tang and saw many
run-down monasteries. In the 15th Muslim came to the area and most
likely destroyed what remained of the monument here. After this time the
site got covered over by jungle and was lost. In 1896 Palpa Shumsher Rana
excavated the Ashoka pillar. Nothing really remains of the ruins of the
past accept the pond where it is said Maya Devi bathed. There are some
foundations of viharas and stupas near the pond.
Festivals
There
is a Buddhist festival in April/May called Buddha Jayanti here to
celebrate the appearance of the Buddha. At the same time there is a big
Hindu festival celebrated on the full moon day of the Nepali month of
Vaisakha (April/May), when Hindu come to worship Maya Devi as Rupa Devi,
the goddess of Lumbini.
Best Place to See In Lumbini Nepal
The Ashokan Pillar
Discovered
by the now famous German archaeolgist Dr. Fuhrer, the pillar is the
first epigraphic evidence relating to the life history of Lord Buddha
and is also the most visible landmark of the garden. The historic
importance of the pillar is evidenced by the inscription engraved in the
pillar (in Brahmi script).
It
is said that the great Indian Emperor Ashok visited the site in the
twentieth year of is ascendancy to the throne and as a homage to the
birthplace,erected the pillar.
The inscriptions
in the pillar roughly translates as: Kin Piyadesi beloved of th Gods,
having been anointed 20 yeas, came himself and worshipped saying Here
Buddha Shakyamuni was born: And he caused to make a stone (capital)
representing a horse; and he caused (this) stone pillar to be erected.
Because the worshipful one was born in the village of Lumbini has been
made free of taxes and recipient of wealth"
Puskarni-the sacred pool
South
of the Ashokan Pillar, there is the famous sacred pool- ‘Puskarni’
believed to be the same sacred pool in which Maya Devi took a holy dip
just before giving birth to the Lord and also where infant Buddha was
given his first purification bath. Architecturally the pool has the
projecting terraces in descending order and is reverted with a fine
brick masonry.
Sanctum-Sanctorum of the Birthplace
The
single most important place of the Lumbini (and to the entire Buddhist
world for that matter) is the stoneslab-located deep in the Sanctum
sanctorum.Revealed after a hard and meticulous excavations under the
three layers of ruins over the site of a famous Maya Devi temple, the
stone slab foundation pinpoints the location of the original
place-marking the exact spot of the birthplace of Lord Buddha.
Maya Devi temple
Maya Devi temple
has
been built in the memory of Gautam Buddha’s mother, Maya Devi. This has
become one of the major Nepal Buddhist Tour Destination for the
tourists from abroad. The splendid sculpture that has been engraved is
Buddha standing upright on a lotus petal and his mother under the Sal
tree. This temple is believed to have been built 2000 years back. This is indeed amazing that the temple has been excavated and has been restored for people to learn about the rich culture of Buddhism.
Getting there and around
Buses run regulary after every hour or so from morning six o' clock to afternoon five o' clock to Lumbini from Bhairawa, an industrial town situated 284 km to the southeast of Lumbini. They are crowded and slow: it almost takes an hour for the 22km trip.
You
can hire a cab for the day for about US$15. The cost may sound little
bit expensive, but it's worth spending if you are travelling in a small
group. The other option is you can hire a three-wheeler tempo for about
half the price.
You can also take a 45-minute flight from Kathmandu to Gautam Buddha Airport at Bhairawa.
Buses from Bhairawa leave from near the main intersection, across the street from the Hotel Yeti.
Air The closest airport is at Bhairawa, from where there are flights to and from Kathmandu.
Depending on how long you want to stay in Lumbini, a bicycle or hiring a rickshaw would be nice to go around but not necessary (especially for the fact that one cannot find a bike for rent easily).
Where To Stay in Lumbini Nepal
Most people come just for a day trip and usually stay the night in Bhairawa or Sunauli 22 km away.
It is possible to stay in the very
basic facilities at some of the monasteries for a donation. Sometimes
the bathrooms can be quite depressing. The Theravada monastery has a
basic dharmshala. It may be possible to stay at the Tibetan Monastery,
outside of the winter months. It may also be possible to stay at the Dae
Sun Suk Gu Sa Monastery.
Lumbini Village Lodge,
Lumbini Mehalbar, about 2 km east of main site, has simple rooms (a bit
depressing) for Rs 200/300 appox. Basic meals are Rs 40 appox.
Sri Lankan Pilgrims Rest House about
a half-hour walk (3km) from the Sacred Garden, is a large modern place
that has clean rooms with common bath and hot water. Dorm beds are Rs
250 Appox. It has a restaurant.
Hotel Rainbow has air-cooled rooms for Rs 500/600 Appox. It is over-priced and is right on the highway so can be noisy.
Mikasa Hotel is a new place with good rooms.
Lumbini Buddha Hotel
(email: asainadv@mos.com.np) is a mid-range place with hot water and
air-cooled rooms. It has a restaurant. It is southwest of the Sacred
Garden.
Lumbini Hokke Hotel
(20236, 80236; fax: same), several km north of the main site, is a
luxury hotel with rooms for $90/130. It is managed by Japanese and is
used mainly by Japanese Buddhist pilgrims. Meals for non-guest are $12
or more. It has rooms with Japanese furniture. It is one of the best
hotels in Nepal.
Hotel Lumbini Garden New Crystal is newly built. Pool, health club and meditation center.
The
Lumbini Garden Restaurant, near the main parking lot (car park), is a
decent place that has Indian and Western dishes. The is an eating place
in the compound of the Theravada Monastery
