Introduction,
Lumbini is situated at the foothills of the Himalayas in modern Nepal. In the Buddha's time, Lumbini was a beautiful garden
full of green and shady Sal trees (Shorea). The garden and its tranquil environs were owned by both the ShaAsoka pillarkyas
and Kolias clans. King Suddhodana, father of Gautama Buddha was of the Shakya dynasty belonging to the Kshatriya or the warrior
caste.
Maya Devi, his mother, gave birth to the child on her way to her parent's home in Devadaha while taking rest in Lumbini
under a sal tree in the month of May in the year 642 B.C. The beauty of Lumbini is described in Pali and Sanskrit literature.
Maya Devi it is said was spellbound to see the natural grandeur of Lumbini. While she was standing, she felt labor pains and
catching hold of a drooping branch of a Sal tree, the baby, the future Buddha, was born.
.jpg "Together For Nepal Tourism Year 2011")
