According to Buddhist tradition, Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha, was born in Nepal.
Buddhist texts identify Lumbini, a sacred garden near Kapilavastu, as his birthplace. Lumbini is in the Rupandehi District of modern Nepal, close to the border with India. The tradition says his mother, Queen Maya, gave birth to him while traveling to her parental home.
The location was associated with the Buddha in antiquity. A pillar erected by the Mauryan emperor Ashoka in the third century BCE records his visit to Lumbini and identifies the site as the Buddha’s birthplace. This inscription is one of the most important archaeological confirmations connected with the Buddha’s life.
A common mix-up is to say India because many major events in the Buddha’s life occurred there, including his enlightenment at Bodh Gaya, first sermon at Sarnath, and death at Kushinagar. Lumbini, however, lies in present-day Nepal and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.