The traditional name of the city where Siddhartha Gautama spent his youth is Kapilavastu.
Kapilavastu was associated with the Shakya clan and is described in Buddhist biographies as the setting of Siddhartha’s privileged early life. There he lived within the royal household before leaving home to seek an answer to suffering, aging, illness, and death.
The location of ancient Kapilavastu has been debated. Tilaurakot in modern Nepal is commonly identified with the ancient city, while Piprahwa in India has also been proposed. This archaeological debate concerns the site’s exact location, not the traditional name used in Buddhist literature. Kapilavastu is distinct from Lumbini, the traditional birthplace, and Bodh Gaya, the enlightenment site.