• Sunday, 9 February 2025

Lumbini ranks 9th among 52 must-visit places in the world

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By Our Correspondent

Bhairahawa, Jan. 14: The New York Times has ranked Lumbini, the birthplace of Buddha, 9th among the 52 must-visit destinations worldwide. In its list of 52 destinations for 2025, the New York Times placed Lumbini, a UNESCO World Heritage site, in the ninth position. 

Officials from the Lumbini Development Trust believe this will help promote Lumbini globally and spread a positive message for tourism promotion.

Sadhuraja Shakya, Secretary of the Trust, stated that New York Times placing Lumbini in the 9th position is a great achievement for the country. 

“This will significantly aid in spreading the awareness of Lumbini worldwide, and we hope it will contribute to Lumbini’s development as well,” he said. 

Shakya emphasised that such recognition, which Nepal could not achieve even with financial resources, should be preserved with pride.

According to the Trust, over 1.1 million people visited Lumbini in 2024. With its inclusion in this list, the Trust expects that tourists will come not only from countries with a significant Buddhist population but from other parts of the world as well. The New York Times also included a brief introduction to Lumbini, suggesting visitors travel to the new temples and meditation centers at this ancient pilgrimage site.

The New York Times writes, “Millenniums ago, a queen named Maya Devi is said to have entered the Gardens of Lumbini and given birth to Siddhartha Gautam, the Buddha. Lumbini, in present-day Nepal, has since become a pilgrimage site filled with ancient ruins and contemporary Buddhist centres.”

“And 10 years after a devastating earthquake rattled the country, new temples and meditation centre are opening. Inaugurated in November, the Thousand Buddha 

Temple is a three-level, Tibetan-style structure adorned with three 16-foot golden Buddha statues and more than 1,000 other Buddha statues,” it writes. 

This year, the city will welcome the India International Center for Buddhist Culture and Heritage, a carbon-neutral, lotus-shaped building with meditation and exhibition rooms,” it further added. 

Renovation work will also begin on the Ramagram Stupa, a UNESCO-listed temple site from the sixth century B.C. about 30 miles from Lumbini. The Italian architect Stefano Boeri has provided the restoration design plan.

Among the other destinations on the New York Times’ list, the top spot is held by Jane Austen's England, with other locations including the Galápagos Islands of Ecuador, the New York Museum, Assam in India, and the White Lotus in Thailand.

The historical significance and serene atmosphere of Lumbini continue to attract tourists worldwide, said Siddhicharan Bhattarai, the Treasurer of the Lumbini Development Trust. 

He added that this recognition would further help in attracting tourists to Nepal, particularly those drawn to the religious and cultural importance of Lumbini. 

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