Lumbini Year 2012 :)

I have had wanted to go to Lumbini from ever since I remember. Well, certainly for the obvious reason, it is Gautam Buddha’s birth place. A place which since has become associated with peace.

People in Nepal has always been so proud of the fact that Buddha was born in Nepal. We react very angrily when we find anywhere suggested otherwise. Though we may know very little about the actual teachings of Buddha, and implement even lesser of that teaching into our lives, we sure are proud. Proud that we are born in the same soil that once gave birth to the great Buddha.

I had made a mental note to myself that, I would visit Lumbini within 2012, that was my new year resolution. And I was encouraged more as 2012 was also, “Visit Lumbini Year”. Even after visiting so many places of Nepal, Lumbini was still on my “wish list” place. I had not been able to go there, up until recently. Finally, my long time dream of visiting his birthplace came true.

I had heard but never actually that Lumbini Chettra would be that big. It was a hot humid day, and me and my friend Kala, had been walking and walking. Only after a few minutes, I was already regretting rejecting the offer of a cab driver to tour us for few hours for 500 rupees. I had wanted to walk the place myself and not roam around in a car like some tourist. But walking all the way, to all the amazing monasteries, temples, stupas seemed somehow impossible. And we had only few hours on hand. So I wanted straight to go to THE place, Mayadevi’s temple.

I felt delighted after reaching the “Santi Deep”, a fire that never goes down. I appreciate the construction work that has been going on there to beautify the place.

After walking further more, we reached the Mayadevi temple premises. I don’t know if it’s the place or the feeling that you get after reaching the place, but you just so feel peaceful right after you reach there. Big peepal tree, and monks chanting mantras, the cool breeze blowing the prayer flags, it felt like I was in some different world. We sat with the monks, took their blessing and were smiling our biggest smiles.

Inside the Mayadevi Temple, it was a different age. I was looking at the ruins of a great palace, where a great soul was born. The staff there was very friendly and very keen on giving as much information as he could. He said that, “it was the very place where mother Mayadevi had given birth to Siddhartha Gautam. It must have been a beautiful room back then. King Ashok later marked the place by putting up the stone.” He showed us the stone craving of Mayadevi, which showed her in the moment when she was giving birth.

We sat there. And I did not want to go out of there. That was it, the ruins of a palace, how the place must have looked like some 2500 years ago. Those glory walls still standing must have looked different. How the room must have been, where the great event took place ? I was wondering, then I let my mind rest. I did not want to think anything, I just wanted to sit there, just be. And that’s what I did, and in that silent moment, where I was sitting in the wooden floor, inside the Mayadevi temple, became one of the most amazing moments of my life.

I certainly did not want to leave, but had to. My heart was delighted, I was leaving the Mayadevi temple premises with a peaceful mind. But that peace actually did not last long !! The peace of my mind was disturbed literally by some Hindi item number song being played nearby. Just outside the Mayadevi temple area but still inside the Lumbini area, what I saw before me was chaos. There was some kind of picnic being held there. People were cooking, eating, playing, cleaning dishes, selling things, buying things and making noise…a lot of noise. Just before a few minutes, only some steps away was the place where Buddha was born, where I had found peace and just few steps away was this chaos like I had never seen before. And since, I not being the enlightened one, I felt angry and I felt sad for what is being done right by the side of one of the most important places in the world. I strongly think that this was no way of celebrating the “Visit Lumbini Year 2012”, and the authorities must do something to stop such things from taking place again. Lumibini area is not a picnic spot, and it should not be turned into one.

Lumbini is a world heritage site and we can attract tourists from all over the world to that place (only if we put some efforts into it). It certainly is one of the most beautiful places that I have visited. But any kind of activity which disturbs the peace and tranquility of the place should be certainly and immediately stopped. I pray that peace prevails in the world and more so in Lumbini.