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The grounded site of Lumbini was uncovered from earth's crust almost after 10 centuries of being dismantled or buried. It was re-discovered in 1895, when a German Archaeologist, Feuhrer come upon The Ashoka's pillar, identified by its inscriptions. Soon after that Nepali Archaeologists started excavation and research. But this visit of the German Archaeologist is not the only basis for the re-discovery of Lumbini Garden. Many of the Chinese and Nepali pilgrims had visited and had made an attempt for rediscovering and revealing the ancient Land of Buddha being buried in the past time.
Chinese pilgrim Fa Hsien (Fa Xian) visited Lumbini in 403 A.D., he found the monastries abandoned and the city of Kapilvastu in ruins. After 200 years of his visit another chinese pilgrim Xuan Zang described 1000 derelict monastries and Ashoka's pillar had been shattered by thunders and lightening and were dismantled on ground.
In spite of being buried the Holy Land Lumbini was not entirely forgotten. The Nepali King, Ripu Malla made a pilgrimage here in 1312, he possibly left a nativity statue that is still worshipped in Mayadevi Temple.
At the end of 14th century the Mughal invaders arrived the region and destroyed the remainings 'pagan' monuments both at Kapilvastu & Lumbini. The whole region now completely returned to wilderness and sites were lost to Humanity until the German Archaeologist arrived in 1895.
Khadga Sumsher, the Governer of palpa began excavation of Ashoka pillar in 1896, with Nepali Archaeologists and discovered the great stone at the site attributed to Ashoka. Some scholars believed that the monuments were built above the old monuments, which still persists under them. The main attraction of Lumbini, the Mayadevi temple was discovered after this excavation which locates the exact birth place of Siddhartha Gautama. The records name by chinese pilgrim Fa Xian were also used in the process of identifying this religiously acclaimed site.
Understanding the religious, cultural, architectural and traditional importance of Lumbini, being the birthplace of Lord Buddha, the sacred area of Lumbini is one of the holiest places of one of the world's great religion it has been listed on the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1997 under the criteria (iii) and (vi). Its remains contains evidence of the nature of Buddhist pilgrimage centres from early period. Now its being conserved and developed according to a masterplan propounded by a Japanese monk by Nepal government , dozens of trusts, International Communities and the whole Buddhist community around the worl
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