Lumbini, the Birthplace of the Lord Buddha

Buddhism traces its origin to a garden in southern Nepal: Lumbini, where Siddhartha Gautama was born in 623 BC. Pilgrims have come ever since — among them the Indian emperor Ashoka, whose commemorative pillar still marks the spot — and archaeological remains tied to the Buddha's birth anchor a growing international pilgrimage centre. UNESCO inscribed Lumbini on the World Heritage List in 1997.