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Places |
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SACRED GARDEN ZONE
Moving
south from the middle or the monastic zone, one crosses
the circular levee and enters the Sacred Garden, the
focal point and the heart of Lumbini. It was in this
place where Shakyamuni Gautam was born in 623 B.C.
The main landmark of this site is the Asokan Pillar
with a five-line inscription which says that after
20 years of his coronation Emperor Asoka had visited
the place where Buddha was born. He had erected a
stone railing made and exempted the Lumbini Village
from particular type of taxes.
The term Sacred Garden in this contest refers to the
complex including several historical-archaeological
monuments around the Maya Devi shrine. From the archaeological
evidence gathered from around the Maya Devi shrine
and the Asokan Pillar, it can be reasonably assumed
that an extensive religious complex consisting of
monasteries and stupas had existed for more than hundreds
of years stretching the entire Maurya period. To the
south-west of the complex, about 300m away from it,
there is a mound which is believed to be there mains
of the village that existed along with the religious
complex.
The
Sacred Garden is the focal point of the Lumbini Project
and symbolizes the birth place of the Lord Buddha.
Its from, consisting of a circle enclosing a square,
embodies the mystic symbol of the universe in its
purity and simplicity. The square area is formed with
a network of raised walkways between the landscaped
area and the archaeological remains. A beautiful garden
has been built around the shrine complex.
The
excavation carried out with Japanese cooperation at
the Maya Devi Temple for its conservation and restoration
had found the Maker Stone (exact birthplace of Buddha).
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The
Sacred Area will be surrounded by a pond and circular
levee. It is to be noted that the total rain collected
within this area will be discharged through the
drainage gates provided in the southern part of
the Sacred Garden. The construction thus protects
the archaeological and historical sites from flood
and adds beauty and integrity to it. It is to
be noted that there will be no new construction
within the Sacred Garden area.
Within
the passage of time, more monuments- temples,
viharas and stupas were added by the devotees.
In the center of all stood a shrine housing the
nativity sculpture. But for many centuries the
entire site remained lost in the forest. It was
only in 1895 that the pillar was sighted. In the
month of December, 1996 the then governor of Palpa,
Khadga Shamsher and a surveyor named Fuhrer happened
to discover the pillar inscription and did preliminary
survey of the archaeological sites in the vicinity.
The circular levee with a large water body is
the new attraction in this zone. |
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THE
ASHOKAN PILLAR
Discovered
by the now famous German archaeologist Dr. Fuhrer,
the pillar is the first epigraphic evidence relating
to the life history of Lord Buddha and is also the
most visible land mark 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 his ascendancy to the throne
and as a homage to the birthplace erected the pillar.
The inscriptions in the pillar roughly translates
as: "King Piyadesi beloved of the Gods, having
been anointed 20 years, came himself and worshipped
saying "Here Buddha Sakyamuni was born"
And he caused to make a stone (capital) representing
a horse; and he caused (this) stone pillar to be erected.
Because here the worshipful one was born in the village
of Lumbini has been made free of taxes and recipient
of wealth"
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NATIVITY SCULPTURE
Is the shrine of Mayadevi, which depicts Buddha's
mother grasping a branch of a tree with her-right
hand. Next to her is standing Gautami Prajapati, her
sister in a supporting posture in the time of delivery.
The far right figure shows the figures of Brahma and
Indra, wearing conical crowns, standing in devotion
before the queen to receive the divine child, as narrated
by Buddhist literature. At the bottom of the panes
is the newly born prince (Buddha) with a halo around
his head, standing upright on a lotus pedestal with
two celestial figures receiving him.
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THE
GROUP OF STUPAS : -
One can also see the brick masonry foundations, known
as the GROUP OF STUPAS and vihars, built in the period
of Mauryan, Gupta and Kushana (between the 3rd century
BC and the 2nd century AD), which are evidence of
the early devotees desire to be near to the sacred
birthplace. On the back side, one can view a brick
pillar known as MAHENDRA STAMBHA, erected around the
1970s, to commemorate the initiative of U. Thant and
the then king Mahendra. ON the eastern side are standing
two monasteries, Lumbini Royal Buddhist Monastery
(the Hinayana Buddhist sect), built with the permission
of Nepal's king Mahendra in 1953 and Dharma Swami
Maharaj Buddhist Monastery (the Mahayana Buddhist
sect), built in 1968 by the order of the king of Mustang,
Jigmey Pal Bar Bista. Both the monasteries are supposed
to be eliminated in the completion of the Tange's
Masterplan. The southern buildings are the temporary
offices of the Japanese Buddhist Federation and the
Lumbini Development Trust.
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THE
MARKER STONE :-
Located deeply buried in the sanctum sanctorum pinpoints
the exact spot of the auspicious birth of Lord Buddha.
This was discovered after a meticulous excavation
of the Mayadevi Temple in 1996. The Marker Stone
70*40*10 cm, is now preserved with a covering of
bulletproof glass.
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THE
PUSHKARINI :-
Is believed to be the most sacred pond of the Shakyas
in which Mayadevi took her bath before giving birth
to the prince, Buddha. It is also the pond where
the infant Buddha was given his first purification
bath. The pond has two deep wells, terraced steps
and is riveted by beautifully layered bricks in
1933-39.
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