Buddhist Pilgrims in Nepal

Shiddartha Gautam led the world on the path to enlightenment and became Lord Buddha two thousand five hundred years ago. There are four most holy places associated with the Lord Buddha and are Buddhist pilgrimage. 

Lumbini :
birthplace of Lord Buddha, is the centre of holy faith for the millions of Buddhists all over the world. Located in south-western Nepal, Lumbini is a Buddhist pilgrimage site in the Kapilavastu district of Nepal, near the Indian border. It is the place where Queen Mayadevi is said to have given birth to Siddhartha Gautama, who in turn, as the Buddha Gautama, gave birth to the Buddhist tradition. Lumbini has a number of temples, including the Mayadevi temple, 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. The most significant spot of the palaces the eastern gate from where Prince Siddhartha Gautam departed on his Quest of 'Essence for human life'. 

Lumbini is about 20 minute drive from Siddarth Nagar, a town in mid western Nepal. Ashok Pillar, Maya Devi Temple, Archeological excavation sites, various Buddhist temples and monasteries from Buddhist countries from all over worlds are in the Lumbini Garden.

Namobuddha : 
Namo Buddha or Takmo Lujin is a very sacred place for the Buddhists. The Stupa situated just off to the downtown Kathmandu is visited by scores of pilgrims every year. There is a legend behind the reverence of this place. According to the Buddhist legend, Namobuddha is the place where Lord Buddha, in an earlier life, offered his body to a starving tigress so she could feed her cubs. It is said that his hair, bones and so forth were made into a Stupa, the Stupa now known as Namobuddha. It is in east of Kathmandu valley near Panauti. 

Important Buddhist Stupa in Kathmandu valley are Swoyambhunath, Bouddhanath, four Stupa built by Ashok Emperor in Patan and one Chabhil, etc. There are several Tibetan monasteries around Kathmandu valley. Some of the monasteries are recently built. Thengboche Monastery is the highest altitude monastery in Nepal