A place of practice, not just a sight
For millions of Buddhists, Lumbini is one of the four great places of pilgrimage, the place where the Buddha was born. People save for years to come here. A Sri Lankan grandmother may be making the only foreign journey of her life; a Tibetan monk may have walked and bussed for weeks; a Thai family may be fulfilling a vow. Each morning they come to the Sacred Garden to chant, meditate and make offerings, and the monasteries around it are homes and places of study for the monks and nuns who live there.
Most visitors are welcome everywhere, whatever their faith. The expectations are simple and mostly common sense, but some are specific to Buddhist customs and to particular traditions. A little knowledge before you arrive saves embarrassment and makes you a guest people are glad to see.
What to wear
Cover your shoulders and knees, for men and women alike. Loose cotton or linen trousers, long skirts and shirts with sleeves are cool in the heat and acceptable everywhere. Avoid tight, sheer or revealing clothes, and anything with religious images printed on it, especially the Buddha's face, which many Buddhists find disrespectful on clothing or on the body.
You will remove your shoes at the Maya Devi Temple and at most monastery shrine halls, so wear sandals or shoes you can slip off without sitting down. In the hot season, brick and stone floors become very hot by midday; in winter they are cold at dawn. Socks help in both cases, and are generally acceptable inside shrines. Remove hats and sunglasses inside temples.
At stupas, temples and the Sacred Garden
Walk around stupas, temples and sacred objects clockwise, keeping them on your right. This applies to the Maya Devi Temple, the bodhi tree, stupas in the monastic zone and the World Peace Pagoda. Turn prayer wheels clockwise with your right hand. If you meet a group circling the other way, which happens in some traditions, simply step aside.
When you sit, do not point the soles of your feet towards a shrine, a Buddha image or a monk; sit cross-legged or with your legs tucked to the side. Do not climb on the brick ruins, the Ashoka pillar's railing or statues for photographs. Keep voices low, phones silent and music off. In the Sacred Garden, some pilgrims will be in deep meditation even in the middle of the day, so pass behind people rather than in front of them.
Offerings are welcome. Flowers, incense and butter lamps are sold near the garden entrance, and the staff will show you where to place them. Do not leave candles or incense on the Ashoka pillar or on the ruins themselves, as the heat and soot damage ancient brick and stone.
A planner can turn what you are reading into days, nights and a price.
Meeting monks and nuns
Greet monks and nuns with a slight bow and joined palms. In the Theravada tradition of the East Monastic Zone, monks follow rules that stop them touching or being touched by women; women should not hand anything directly to a Theravada monk but place it on a table or a cloth he holds out. Theravada monks also do not eat after midday, so offer food only in the morning. Vajrayana and Mahayana monks and nuns are usually more relaxed, but a respectful distance is always appropriate.
Most monks are happy to answer a polite question, and some speak good English. Avoid asking them to pose for photographs, and do not interrupt chanting or teaching. If you are invited into a monastery's prayer hall, sit at the back and follow what others do: stand when they stand, stay quiet, and leave quietly.
Photos, drones and giving
Photography is not allowed inside the Maya Devi Temple. In the garden and most monasteries it is fine, but always ask before photographing people, especially monks, nuns and pilgrims at prayer, and never use flash in shrine rooms. Some monasteries ban photography in their main hall; look for signs.
Flying a drone in Nepal requires official permission, and protected heritage sites have their own restrictions. Do not fly over the Sacred Garden, the monastic zone or crowds without the correct permits; check current status before you travel.
Giving, called dana, is central to Buddhist practice, and visitors are welcome to take part. Monasteries have donation boxes in their halls, and a modest note is appreciated but never required. If you want to give more, ask the monastery office how gifts are used.
Be wary of people in robes who approach you on the street or at car parks asking for money or offering blessings in exchange for a payment; genuine monks rarely do this. Children may ask for pens, sweets or money. We suggest not giving directly, which can encourage children to miss school, and instead supporting a local school or community organisation through your hotel or guide.
On Buddha Jayanti and busy days
Buddha Jayanti, the Buddha's birthday on the full moon of the month of Baisakh, usually in April or May, is Lumbini's biggest day. Processions, chanting, official ceremonies and very large crowds fill the Sacred Garden, and the heat can be intense. It is a moving time to be here, but plan for it: arrive at dawn, carry water, expect long queues at the Maya Devi Temple and be patient with security checks.
Winter, from November to February, is the main season for pilgrim groups from Sri Lanka, Thailand, Myanmar, Vietnam and India. Groups often chant together under the bodhi tree for half an hour or more. Do not walk through a seated group or photograph them at close range; wait, or find another spot.
Villages and the land around Lumbini
The farmland around Lumbini is home to Hindu, Muslim and Buddhist families, many of them Tharu, Madhesi and Awadhi- or Bhojpuri-speaking. You will pass mosques, Hindu shrines and village ponds as you cycle. If you walk into a village, greet people with namaste, ask before photographing homes or people, and do not enter a house or a kitchen unless you are invited. Dress as modestly here as you would in the Sacred Garden; rural communities on the plains are conservative.
Lumbini is green, but its canal, ponds and wetlands are under pressure from visitors and from the growing towns nearby. Carry a refillable bottle, take your rubbish with you and use the bins provided. In the Lumbini Crane Sanctuary and the fields around it, stay on paths and keep well back from sarus cranes, which are protected and pair for life; disturbing nests can cause pairs to abandon them.
- Use bicycles or e-rickshaws in the zone rather than private cars where you can
- Buy flowers and incense from the stalls at the entrance rather than picking plants
- Choose local guides, drivers and restaurants so your spending stays in the area
Quick do and don't list
Keep this short list in mind. Your guide will remind you at each place, and no one expects you to know everything.
| Do | Don't |
|---|---|
| Cover shoulders and knees | Wear revealing clothes or Buddha-image prints |
| Remove shoes and hats in shrines | Walk on prayer mats or cushions in shoes |
| Walk clockwise around stupas | Point your feet at monks or Buddha images |
| Ask before photographing people | Photograph inside the Maya Devi Temple |
| Give at monastery donation boxes | Give money to street solicitors in robes |
| Keep voices low and phones silent | Climb on ruins, statues or the pillar railing |
| Carry a refillable bottle | Leave plastic in the garden or canal |
Questions
What should I wear to visit Lumbini?
Wear loose, light clothing that covers your shoulders and knees, whatever your gender. Choose shoes you can slip off quickly, since you remove them at the Maya Devi Temple and most shrine halls. Avoid clothes printed with images of the Buddha. A hat and sunglasses are useful outside but should come off inside temples.
Do I need to take my shoes off in Lumbini?
Yes, at the Maya Devi Temple and in most monastery shrine halls. Look for shoe racks or rows of shoes at the door. Socks are generally acceptable and protect your feet from hot floors in summer and cold ones in winter. You do not need to remove shoes to walk in the open parts of the garden.
Which way should I walk around a stupa?
Clockwise, keeping the stupa, temple or sacred object on your right. This applies throughout Lumbini, including around the Maya Devi Temple, the bodhi tree and the World Peace Pagoda. Turn prayer wheels clockwise with your right hand. If others are walking a different direction, step aside quietly rather than correcting them.
Can women talk to monks in Lumbini?
Yes. Women can greet and speak with monks of all traditions. In the Theravada monasteries of the East zone, however, monks may not touch or be touched by women, so women should not shake hands with them or hand objects directly; place items on a table or a cloth. A bow with joined palms is the right greeting.
Is photography allowed in Lumbini?
Photography is allowed in most of the Sacred Garden and the monastic zone, but not inside the Maya Devi Temple. Some monasteries also ban photos in their main halls, so look for signs. Always ask before photographing people, particularly monks, nuns and pilgrims at prayer, and never use flash in shrine rooms.
Can I fly a drone in Lumbini?
Not without permission. Flying drones in Nepal requires official approval, and heritage sites have their own restrictions. Flying over the Sacred Garden, monasteries or crowds without permits can lead to the drone being confiscated. Check current status before you travel and ask your guide or hotel about the current process.
Should I give money to monks or children in Lumbini?
Give at monastery donation boxes rather than to individuals on the street. Genuine monks rarely solicit money from tourists in public, so be cautious of anyone in robes who does. We suggest not giving money or sweets directly to children, and instead supporting a school or community organisation through your hotel or guide.
Can non-Buddhists visit Lumbini?
Yes. Lumbini welcomes visitors of all faiths and none, and many of its visitors are Hindu, Christian, Muslim or not religious. You are not expected to pray or bow, only to behave respectfully: dress modestly, remove shoes where asked, keep quiet in shrines and follow the simple customs your guide explains.
Can I take part in prayers or offerings?
Yes, if you wish. You can buy flowers, incense or butter lamps near the Sacred Garden entrance and offer them as pilgrims do, and you can sit quietly during chanting at the garden or in monasteries. Follow what others do, stay at the back, and ask your guide or a monk if you are unsure what is appropriate.
