ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXCAVATIONS IN LUMBINI

[The Lumbini pillar and the Nigalisagar pillar inscription of Ripu Malla (the Khasa King) records that he had visited Lumbini in 1312 A.D. The Asoka pillar at Lumbini also bears the name of his son Sangrama Malla. Most probably Ripu Malla had built a huge stone temple and image of Buddha at Saina-Maina (the Samagama hill monastery of Digha-Nikaya, Pasadika-Sutta; Satnagama Suttanta of Majjhim Nikaya, and Papancha Sudani of Budhaghosa). Samagama is about 9 kilometer west - south of Butwal. Two pillars, one with erased Khasa inscriptiotin and the other reading - "Om-Mani

Padme Hum", in Tibetan script was found from the place. A stone Buddha image was also brought from the site to Lumbini and had been displayed in the garden before the exhibition hall.]

By Tara Nanda Mishra

Lumbini Garden-the Birthplace of Sakya-Muni.

Lumbinivana was situated within the Majjhimadesa, in tile Ganga Valley and this was the place where Lord Buddha was born? It was situated between the two cities- Kapilvastu and Devadaha (or Vyaghrapur). This garden was connected with the Uttarapath. Now it is within the Rupandehi district of Lumbini Anchal in Nepal Tarai and about 22 kilometers west of Bhairahawa town. The Buddhist literatures have highly lauded about Lumbini. It had several names like Lavani. Rummindei (Lumbinidevi, after the name of the queen of Anjana, king of the Koliyas), Pramodvana, also compared with chittalatavana, Paradimoksha (place of liberation or Nirvana) and Mokta (named by the Mughal historian Abul Fazal; Cunningham, Ancient geography, 1 963, p. 35 1). The important persons who had visited Lumbini in the historical days were Asoka (between 257-250 B.C.), the Yueh-Chih monk Sengtsai (in around 3:0 A.D.) belonging to the Chin dynasty (265-420 A.D.), Fahian (399-413 A.D.), Yuan-Chwang (around 636 A.D.) and Wukung in 764 A.D. (T. Watters, On Yuan-Chwangs Travels, Delhi, 1973,II, 17).

The Lumbini pillar and the Nigalisagar pillar inscription of Ripumalla (the Khasa King) records that he had visited Lumbini in 1312 A.D. The Asoka pillar at Lumbini also bears the name of his son Sangrama Malla. Most probably Ripumalla had built a huge stone temple and image of Buddha at Saina-Maina (the Samagama hill monastery of Digha-Nikaya, Pasadika-Sutta; Satnagama Suttanta of Majjhim Nikaya, and Papancha Sudani of Budhaghosa). Samagama is about 9 kilometer west - south of Butwal. Two pillars, one with erased Khasa inscriptiotin and the other reading - "Om-Mani

Padme hum", in Tibetan script was found from the place. A stone Buddha image was also brought from the site to Lumbini and had been displayed in the garden before the exhibition hall.

The Divyavadana and the Asokan pillar at Lumbini Site records about the visit of King Asoka to Lumbini. In the Divyavadana Sthaviara Upagupta indicating the place to King Asoka says that- "in your province, at this place Lord Buddha was born" (Asmin Maharaj Pradese Bhagawan Jatah). The emperor went to the Nativity tree and also talked to the guardian genius. Divyavadana also narrates about the construction of a temple at the Nativity spot of Lumbini. He had donated 1000 tolas of gold and according to the pillar inscription reduced the land tax (Athabhagiya cha). The reduction of land taxation over the agricultural product and the words of Divyavadana that "in your majesty's territory Lord was born" clearly proved that the territory belonged to Emperor Asoka at that period. This is

further supported by the statement of Fa-hian that the name of the town of Krakuchanda Buddha was Napei- Kea.' It is to be noted that in the inscription of Asoka from Kalasi and Shahbazgarhi, Nabhaka was one of the province of Asoka (Iha raja Vishaye). J.W. Mccrindle also describes about a tribe named Nabhaka who were living north of Ganga and south of the Himalaya.

The Vihsnupurana also describes about king Nabhi of Hima, on the southern plains of Himalaya, who was the son of King Agnidhara of Jambudvip. Eggermont writes that Asoka's Nabhakas and Nabhapantis lived in Nepal or on both sides of the present frontier between Nepal and the Indian subcontinent. This is also supported by the statement of Lama Taranath who says that- "People of the hilly countries like Nepal and Khasya revolted. Asoka was sent with army to subdue them. Without difficulty Asoka subdued the hilly races". The Asokavadan also says that-Asoka, during his youth, subdued the country of the Kahsas.(more)


[Excerpted from Ancient Nepal - 'Evolution of Buddhism and Archaeological Excavations in Lumbini']
Soon to be posted another paper by the same writer Tilaurakot Excavation (2023 - 2029 VS)