Siddhartha Gautama was born in what is now Nepal.
Buddhist tradition identifies Lumbini, in the southern Terai plains, as his birthplace. In the Buddha’s lifetime, this region belonged to the Shakya territory rather than to a modern nation-state. Lumbini lies close to the present-day Nepal–India border.
The site’s importance is supported by the Ashoka Pillar, which records a visit by the Mauryan emperor Ashoka and identifies Lumbini as the Buddha’s birthplace. The Maya Devi Temple marks the traditional birth site, where his mother, Maya, is said to have given birth while standing beneath a tree.
A common mix-up is confusing Lumbini with Kapilavastu, where Siddhartha is traditionally said to have grown up, or Bodh Gaya in India, where he attained enlightenment. Lumbini was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997.