Buddhist Heritage of the Greater Lumbinī Area: Contexts, Concerns, and Prospects

Abstract

The Greater Lumbinī Area (GLA), in the southern Terai of Nepal, is the sacred birthplace of Siddhārtha Gautama and a UNESCO World Heritage Site (1997). This paper examines its Buddhist heritage across three dimensions — historical-archaeological context, contemporary concerns (environmental degradation, industrial encroachment, governance fragmentation and pilgrimage-tourism pressure), and future prospects — situating Lumbinī within a sacred geography of some 235 archaeological sites including Tilaurākoṭ-Kapilavastu and Rāmagrāma. It argues that long-term sustainability depends on a holistic, participatory "living heritage" model that safeguards the Outstanding Universal Value of the GLA.