Nepal: Buddha's birthplace Lumbini witness huge tourist footfall post-pandemic

Jun 20, 2024

Kathmandu (Nepal), June 19 (ANI): Tourists have once again started to throng the Maya Devi Temple in Nepal’s Lumbini, the birthplace of Gautam Buddha, after two silent years prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The UNESCO World Heritage Site, nestled in the southern Plains of Nepal, is gradually regaining its allure as religious tourism picks up. The present-day Maya Devi Temple was rebuilt in 2003 by the Lumbini Development Trust. As per the authorities, 19,360 Indian tourists visited the UNESCO-listed World Heritage Site in January 2024, followed by 20,489 in February and 30,670 in March. These figures show an increase compared to 2023 when Indian tourist numbers stood at 61,122. The number of tourists from other parts of the world has also significantly increased at the birthplace of Gautam Buddha, known as the Light of Asia. The Maya Devi Temple, in the heart of Lumbini, is a major attraction for tourists. It houses the Marker Stone, the Nativity Sculpture, and the structural ruins associated with the birth of Lord Sakyamuni Buddha.