Lumbini: The garden where Prince Siddhartha was born
Prince Siddhartha was born in a lovely garden called Lumbini. The main things to see in Lumbini today are the Asokan pillar with its inscription mentioning that “here the Buddha was born”, the nearby ruins that are presently undergoing restoration and the modern temples. Lumbini is just a few kilometres inside Nepal but getting there requires all the formalities of crossing an international border.
There are plenty of hotels in Bhairawa which you have to pass through to get to Lumbini but it is better to stay in some of the temples near Lumbini. If you intend to enter Nepal and return to India you will need to apply for a Multiple Entry Visa when you get your Indian visa. You can apply for a Nepalese visa at the border itself. A 15 day visa costs US $15 and a 30 day visa costs US $25 payable only in either US $ or Nepalese rupees. Crossing the border can be a slow tedious business unless ‘baksheesh’ is offered to officials.