TEMPLE DE MAYA DEVI

The Maya Devi temple, named after the Buddha's mother, is the spiritual and symbolic heart of Lumbini. Every year, thousands of pilgrims of all faiths come here to worship. It was precisely on this sacred spot that Maya Devi gave birth to Siddhartha Gautama, the future Buddha, some 2,500 years ago. Today's temple is built around a series of ancient ruins discovered during archaeological excavations. The site was built over the centuries under different rulers and Buddhist communities. The oldest remains date back over 2,200 years.

The legend. Queen Maya Devi, wife of King Suddhodana, was on her way to her parents' house in Kapilavastu when she stopped at a sacred garden in Lumbini. While walking under a tree, she suddenly felt a contraction and gave birth to Siddhartha, the future Buddha. The baby came out standing. Able to walk immediately, he took seven steps towards the north. With each step, a lotus flower appeared beneath his feet, symbolizing purity and enlightenment. Then he raised his right hand to heaven and his left hand to earth, embodying heavenly and earthly truth. Deities came to celebrate his coming, bringing offerings and blessing the child, destined to enlighten the world and free beings from suffering. Buddha, the "Awakened One", would then teach the path to liberation.

Inside the temple. Access is via walkways built in a circumambulation (clockwise turn) around the exact spot where Buddha was born. This meditative walk allows you to collect yourself, recite mantras or simply meditate in silence. Large numbers of tickets are offered by pilgrims. Lotus flowers, incense, butter lamps and colorful fabrics are also left on altars near the sacred stone. The guards remind visitors to respect the silence, remove their shoes and wear covering clothing.

The sandstone sculpture. This is one of the temple's most precious and symbolically charged objects, depicting the birth of Buddha. Donated in the ^14th century by the Nepalese king Ripu Malla, it depicts the sacred moment when Maya Devi, standing under a tree, gives birth to Siddhartha, often accompanied by symbolic elements such as the lotus and protective animals. Today, this sculpture is a devotional object where devotees gather to meditate and pray.

The Ashoka column. Located just in front of the temple. This six-metre-high pink sandstone pillar was erected by the Indian emperor Ashoka in 249 BC, during his pilgrimage to Lumbini. It bears witness to the site's importance in ancient times, and is engraved with Brahmi inscriptions.

Around the temple. The central area retains its sacred atmosphere, with ancient trees including the pipal, the tree under which the Buddha is said to have taken his first steps. These spaces invite contemplation and reflection on the very origins of Buddhist wisdom.

Around the temple are ancient pools, one of which is said to be where Maya Devi bathed before giving birth, symbolizing purification. There are also commemorative steles, erected by various Buddhist rulers over the centuries, attesting to the continuity of pilgrimages. The circumambulation paths have been used for meditation for thousands of years.