Lumbini field visit

This week from Tuesday to Thursday I went on a short field trip to Lumbini, which gave me a glimpse Terai Arc Landscape in Nepal and a fascinating view of life in Lumbini. Due to the nature of my visit (work/volunteering) I was lucky enough to meet tons of people from all different sectors of society in Lumbini, I enjoyed a meal with locals and was taken to the historic site of Buddha's birth during evening hours....

Tuesday morning began with a seven hour car journey which cut through major hills surrounding Kathmandu Valley and into the lowland Terai and the foothills. The roads were very narrow, with deep potholes and winding turns along a gorgeous landscape, which made the drive a very unique experience in itself.

For sections of the drive we were up in the clouds and the scenery looked tropical, with waterfalls and forests.

On these roads there are few (if any) rules and even though the roads are relatively dangerous, built along winding cliffs and with cars trying to pass each other, I often saw people hanging out of a filled bus or a truck, etc. This is just one example of a truck on the road!

We stopped for a local Daal Bhaat lunch at a spot along the road and then arrived in Lumbini just in time for an afternoon meeting. The meeting included 15 representatives from each sector of the local community – including rickshaw drivers, hotel managers and Buddhist monks. 

After sunset we had free time to visit Lumbini's holy site, which is located in an area called the Master Plan. It was after-hours and very dark outside, but two officials brought us to visit the Maya Devi Temple (7th-12th century), which was built on Siddhartha's place of birth. Siddhartha, the Lord Buddha, was born in 623 BC. We then sat at the sacred Bodhi tree and ancient Pond where Siddhartha was first bathed. It was very moving and incredibly peaceful to sit at this historical site all by ourselves. There were very few lights in the area, which left the sky completely clear and full of stars. It was one of the clearest skies I’ve seen in years.

The next morning we returned to the Master Plan by 8am and took a boat ride down the 1 kilometer canal. It offered a beautiful view of the Peace Pagoda and it was a fun activity (almost reminding me of living in venice!). 

The boat trip was successful, but it was funny getting into the boat at first because it was filled with water up to our ankles! We used plastic bottle to scoop out much of the water eventually and, most importantly, we didn't sink :) 

It was good we started the day early because it is very hot and humid in Lumbini with a peak heat of 105°F / 41°C. Luckily we had some more community meetings throughout the day in a hotel which kept us cool.

Later in the afternoon we visited two local schools that we're collaborating with... (Photo credit for the school photos: Yashaswi Shrestha).

This was just a quick visit to Lumbini, but I believe I should be returning next month.