Lumbini, the birthplace of Lord Buddha, has the distinction of being the foremost site of religious pilgrimage of the Buddhists of the whole world. The history of Lumbini Garden begins with the erection of the Chunar sandstone inscription by King Asoka when he visited the site on the direction of Mahasthavira Upagupta in 250BC. This script was deciphered in the nineteenth century by British scholars and the site was explored in 1896 by Dr Fuhrer. More recently, further excavations have unearthed evidence of structures and various items.
