In addition, within the complex are many temples built in recent decades, the Buddhist communities in different countries in accordance with national architectural traditions.
Gautama Buddha
There are at least four versions of the birth date Siddhartha Gautama: 623 BC, 583 BC, the interval from 486 to 483 BC, or the gap from 411 to 400 BC. He was the son of the head kshatriyskogo (military) Shakya clan. According to legend, the father protects him from distress, and up to 29 years old prince did not even know what in the world are suffering. During his walks soldiers cleared the streets of old people and beggars, but once the eye of Siddhartha still caught a suffering man. Sender had to tell the prince that the world is more complicated than it seems. Shaken by Siddhartha left everything and became an ascetic, a vagabond. When he was 35 years old, descended on him enlightenment, and he became the Buddha. He opened the Four Noble Truths: (1) All is suffering, (2) the cause of suffering - desires, (3) possible relief from suffering - Nirvana (4) to nirvana is the Noble Eightfold Path. Out of love for people to Gautama Buddha did not leave right away to nirvana, and up to 80 years remained on the earth, preaching his doctrine.
Near the temple is a column, erected about 249 BC by order of King Ashoka - the first Buddhist ruler of India, united under their rule almost the entire Indian subcontinent. These columns Ashoka put across his empire, carving them their edicts or memorial inscriptions. Pillar in Lumbini, the king tells the story of a pilgrimage to the birthplace of Buddha and brought them gifts.
Once surrounded by great reverence, frequented by numerous pilgrims mnogazhdy described by travelers from different countries, Lumbini gradually fell into neglect. In the XIX century was not even aware of its exact location. Only in 1895 a group of archaeologists led by Anton German Fuehrer discovered in the Lumbini pillar of Ashoka. Comparing this finding with the famous description of the birthplace of the Buddha, left the Chinese pilgrim Fa Jian (boundary IV-V century AD), scientists have concluded that the sacred place was found.
Lumbini - the only one of four holy places associated with Gautama Buddha, located outside the territory of modern India. Throughout the twentieth century, Indian and Nepalese Buddhists is not in dispute between a Buddhist about it. The Indians claimed that Gautama was born to the south, but Europeans are digging Lumbini, all lies. We have to admit that such statements are not entirely unfounded: the former Catholic priest Anton Führer was a true adventurer Archaeology. Shortly before the discovery of Ashokan pillars, he helped the Englishman William Claxton Peppe, who owned land near Lumbini, in the excavation of a Buddhist sanctuary, where they were allegedly found the remains of Gautama Buddha, buried members of the Shakya clan, to which Gautama belonged. Peppe and the Fuhrer in the reports of their findings are often wishful thinking, have resorted to exaggeration, many of which have already been exposed by their contemporaries. So the truth from fiction and basnosloviya them separated at times no less difficult than in the many legends about the life of Gautama Buddha.
The four shrines associated with Gautama Buddha
Lumbini (Nepal) - the birthplace of Siddhartha Gautama.
Bodhgaya, India (Bihar) - the place where Siddhartha Gautama attained enlightenment and became Buddha.
Sarnath, India (Uttar Pradesh) - place of the first sermon.
Kushinagar, India (Uttar Pradesh) - a place of death (care paranirvanu).
Restoration of the complex began in Lumbini 1970. In 1996, during regular excavations in the temple of Maya Devi was discovered a stone marking some special sacred place. By comparing the location of this stone with ancient descriptions of shrines, experts concluded that the stone was probably marks the exact birthplace of Gautama Buddha. After the discovery of Lumbini broke far ahead in the race "for the title of the place where the earthly journey of the founder of Buddhism. In 1997, UNESCO included the complex in its World Heritage List as "the birthplace of Buddha.
It is obvious that his special position in the ancient Lumbini was the result mainly of Ashoka, who built churches and generous gifts to them. An additional argument in favor of what Gautama Buddha actually born there, could be the discovery of places of worship belonging to an earlier era. If archaeologists with luck, they might find there buildings or artifacts, dating back to the life of the Buddha Gautama.
But even if no "breakthrough" discoveries will not watch the research will still be curious.
Artem Efimov
http://www.lenta.ru/articles/2011/01/13/lumbini/