Oldest Shrine Found Near Buddha's Birthplace
The oldest known Buddhist shrine has been discovered by archaeologists working in the birthplace of the religious leader at the Maya Devi Temple in Lumbini, Nepal.
The oldest known Buddhist shrine has been discovered by archaeologists working in the birthplace of the religious leader at the Maya Devi Temple in Lumbini, Nepal.
There is evidence that there was a tree in the shrine, which might be related to the nativity story of the Buddha in which his mother holds onto a branch while giving birth.
The Buddha, born Siddhartha Gautama, is the religious figure who, after becoming spiritually enlightened, started teaching others and eventually went on to form the religion known as Buddhism, which is practiced by an estimated 500 million people worldwide.
Ram Kumar Shrestha, Nepal's minister of culture, tourism and civil aviation is quoted as saying:
“These discoveries are very important to better understand the birthplace of the Buddha. The government of Nepal will spare no effort to preserve this significant site.”
Although the traditional story of the birth of Buddha happens in the Lumbini Garden, some experts can’t agree on when the Buddha was born, and this has led to differences in the teachings and traditions associated with different Buddhist denominations.
What do you think? Could this discovery help experts know when the Buddha was born?
The oldest known Buddhist shrine has been discovered by archaeologists working in the birthplace of the religious leader at the Maya Devi Temple in Lumbini, Nepal.
There is evidence that there was a tree in the shrine, which might be related to the nativity story of the Buddha in which his mother holds onto a branch while giving birth.
The Buddha, born Siddhartha Gautama, is the religious figure who, after becoming spiritually enlightened, started teaching others and eventually went on to form the religion known as Buddhism, which is practiced by an estimated 500 million people worldwide.
Ram Kumar Shrestha, Nepal's minister of culture, tourism and civil aviation is quoted as saying:
“These discoveries are very important to better understand the birthplace of the Buddha. The government of Nepal will spare no effort to preserve this significant site.”
Although the traditional story of the birth of Buddha happens in the Lumbini Garden, some experts can’t agree on when the Buddha was born, and this has led to differences in the teachings and traditions associated with different Buddhist denominations.
What do you think? Could this discovery help experts know when the Buddha was born?