Earliest Buddhist Shrine

Legend has it that the Buddha was born under a tree at Lumbini[3] in modern day Nepal. Depending on the tradition, the year was 623 B.C. or closer to 400 B.C. Most Buddhism schools prefer the latter. By 249 B.C. Lumbini represented one of the religion’s most sacred sites.

Recently, archaeologists burrowed underneath a central shrine. They were stunned to discover the brick building stood on an older wooden structure. Everything pointed to the timber ruins as being a holy Buddhist site. The design was near-identical to the more recent shrine. In the middle were tree roots surrounded by post holes, indicating that a wooden railing once circled a bodhigara (tree shrine). The clay floor had seen heavy foot traffic, possibly from worshipers, and befitting Buddhism’s no killing stance; there were no signs of sacrifices.