Nepal 2017

Thursday16November

Here we are in the parking lot of Pokhara bus station, where our second journey begins, much more touristy and cultural than our last 15 days of trekking. Our first stop is a small town in the very south of the country on the border with India: Lumbini, which is none other than the birthplace of Siddhartha Gautama, known as Buddha... Nothing less...

Lumbini is theoretically not very far from Pokhara, since as the crow flies, only about a hundred kilometers separate the two cities... But here's the thing, in Nepal there is a multiplying factor that should never be omitted in travel time estimates... Firstly, let's forget the theorem that says the shortest path between two points is a straight line; here, other laws apply and bend space so that the 100 km straight line becomes a nice 260 km curve... That still sounds reasonable, you might say, but that's without counting the other parameter, "time," which also gets dilated to unreasonable proportions, as it will take us almost eleven hours to reach Lumbini!   

The real parameters are actually roadworks and traffic accidents. Indeed, when they happen, roads are completely blocked and nothing is done to let cars pass on the sides... Sometimes you have to wait an hour before the passage is cleared, creating huge traffic jams of buses and trucks during that time...

To pass the time in the not very comfortable buses, there's not much to do except watch the landscape go by and occasionally glance at the "peplum-bollywood" film broadcast in Nepali, "Baahubali: The Beginning" in this case, one of India's biggest successes of 2015, and also the most expensive film in Indian cinema history...

Dal bhat stop in Jugedit for lunch.

A waiter passes with a large bowl of rice, served all-you-can-eat.

Fuel stop at Shanti Tole gas station. Enough to cover the last 50 kilometers separating us from Lumbini in just 1h30, a speed very close to that of light...  

Friday17November

Here we are in one of the most sacred places on the planet, at least for the 500 million followers of Buddhism: Lumbini, the birthplace of Buddha. We reserved only one day to discover the site, which is sufficient if you just want to visit the 5 km² enclosure. This large rectangular enclosure covers the sacred gardens to the South, the monasteries in the center, and the great Peace Pagoda to the North. We start from the South with the actual area designated as where Buddha was born. The site was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1997.

Before crossing the gate of the sacred gardens, the good Buddhist will recall the 5 principles of living together well thanks to the Pancha Sila:
- I observe, by refraining from killing any living being.
- I observe, by refraining from taking what does not belong to me.
- I observe, by refraining from committing sexual aggression.
- I observe, by refraining from lying.
- I observe, by refraining from taking drugs.

To be able to walk on the ground where Buddha was born, you must remove your shoes and place them on these open-air shelves.

In this white building are the remains of the temple (300 BC) that was built around Buddha's footprint, because according to sacred texts, as soon as he emerged from his mother's womb (Queen Mayadevi), he "placed his foot on the ground and symbolically took possession of the Universe by turning towards the cardinal points".  

The footprint is still visible on a stone placed on the ground behind protective glass. But alas, it is forbidden to take photos... So you will have to go there to see it (or use Google Images...), you won't see much then because you have to guess a vague shape to see any footprint at all... You can also see the nativity sculpture, carved in the 4th century. There too, not much remains...

In front of the temple, remains of stupas from the 2nd century BC.

Right next door, the sacred pond where Mayadevi bathed just before giving birth to Buddha, in 623 BC...

This tree probably didn't witness the happy event, but it surely met many pilgrims who came to meditate here.

Prayer flags and monks are gathered around this tree, an inseparable symbol of Buddha's history.

The pond serves as a municipal swimming pool for the local turtles...

Monks in silent reading under the flags with sacred texts.

The small altar embedded in the tree trunk.

The spire of the Stupa where Buddha's eyes look out at the world towards the 4 cardinal points.

Buddhist practitioners listen to the advice of the preaching monk.

The Ashoka Pillar. It was upon its discovery during excavations in 1896 that Lumbini emerged from oblivion. The inscription engraved on the column, dating from 249 BC, is considered proof that Buddha was indeed born here: "20 years after his coronation, King Piyadasi (Ashoka) personally visited Lumbini, a place of worship, because it was here that Buddha, the sage of the Sakyas, was born. He built a wall to precisely delimit the birthplace of Buddha and erected a column to commemorate his visit. Because Buddha was born here, he exempted the village from the usual taxes on their agricultural income". 

We leave the sacred gardens to head north where other natural ponds welcome no less sacred egrets...  

The ascent to the northern part of the site passes by the statue of the young Bodhisattva Buddha, clad entirely in gold. Bodhisattva is the name given to Buddha throughout the period preceding his enlightenment.

According to legend, after being born, Buddha took seven steps, one arm raised towards the sky and the other arm directed towards the ground, signifying that between heaven and earth, between spirit and matter, a bridge is possible, through the teachings of Buddha.

The statue was restored in 2012.

Children, unlike adults, don't ask to take our picture, but rather to pose in front of our cameras. A fun and easy way for them to approach these mysterious Western travelers.

We continue our walk and arrive at the Flame of Peace, from where we can see, opposite, in the axis of the grand canal, the white Peace Pagoda that we will reach later in the day.

This flame, offered by the United Nations, was lit in 1986 by Birendra Bir Bikram Shah, King of Nepal, a position he held until his assassination in 2001...

This bell was conceived by Tarthang Rinpoche, also known as Tarthang Tulku, a Tibetan monk who sought refuge in the United States in 1968.

It's possible to navigate the canal, but our 15 days of trekking haven't accustomed us to this kind of ease...  

The irresistible urge to photograph the passing Westerner has gone to version 2.0. Now, you have to share the spotlight with the smartphone owner!  . With the selfie wave having submerged the entire planet, it's no longer enough to immortalize a memory; now you have to frame your own face in 2/3 of the photo, thus relegating the subject of the shot to the background, or even the third plan... But thanks to the selfie stick, the distance shot gains a little depth, perhaps inspiring the 'auto-photographer' to do the same!    

This done, we can now start wandering from monastery to monastery and from temple to temple! Since the 70s, the UN and UNESCO have invited all countries of the world to come and "save" Lumbini, whose abandonment was endangering the vestiges of the cradle of Buddhism. To do this, volunteer countries had to build temples inspired by the site, in order to make Lumbini a leading tourist and religious center... Alas, as we will see, the result is rather mixed...

The monastery zone is divided into two parts, separated by the canal. To the East, the Mahayana "Great Vehicle" part. To the West, the Theravada "Small Vehicle" part. These are two branches of Buddhism, one older (the Small Vehicle, mostly represented in South Asia) and the other, more recent (the Great Vehicle, mainly present in North Asia).

We embark on the western part "Small Vehicle" with the World Center for Peace and Unity.

A water mirror pond is surrounded by several pagodas.

On the left, that of France. On the right, that of the Tara foundation.

Bougainvillea...

... and lotus flowers.

And the temples follow one another, country by country. Here, Canada. Inside the temples, photos are not always allowed.

Some countries like China have invested a lot. Normal for the country with the largest number of Buddhist practitioners.

Xuan Zang: "Chinese Buddhist monk, one of the four greatest translators of Buddhist sutras in Chinese history." © Wikipedia

In the entrance of the Zhong Hua monastery, the guardians of the four cardinal points: Dhritarashtra (East), Virudhaka (South), Virupaksha (West), and Vaisravana (North).

The Laughing Buddha.

The gardens around the temple.

Inside the temple, Buddha in the "Bhumisparsa Mudra" position or touching the earth as witness. The swastika cross is engraved on his chest, not to be confused, of course, with the so-called "hooked cross" unfortunately reused (mirrored) by the Nazis...

A mini Buddha showing both heaven and earth at the foot of the great Buddha. See if you can find him in the overall photo above!  

The statue of Buddhist monk Benhuan (1907-2012), Zen master and religious leader in China. He held several positions, such as the first abbot of Hongfa Temple in Shenzhen, Guangdong. He was also honorary president of the Buddhist Association of China in 2010, holding this position until his death in 2012. © Wikipedia

South Korea went all out with its Dae Sung Shakya temple. It's a far cry from the modest building protecting Buddha's footprint. But the interior (photos prohibited...) is unique and worth a visit! Zen inspiration guaranteed...

Here is the area reserved for the host country, Nepal.

The Dharmodhaya Sabha stupa.

The Manang Samaj stupa.

And finally, the Karma Samtenling monastery.

Australia in Gallo-Roman style...

A break, you will always take...

We will only see the gate of the Vietnamese temple, which seems to be under construction.

And just like that, it's lunchtime. We've been wandering for 4 hours, so we take advantage of a passing rickshaw for a few rupees to reach the restaurant area.

We enter the first restaurant we find. We are the only customers, at least initially, because in no time at all, a class on a school trip comes in and settles down, instantly transforming our haven of peace into a somewhat agitated school canteen...  

Here, a single menu, dal bhat of course!  

Next to the restaurants, all souvenir shops and perishable goods are available to pilgrim tourists.

But the best souvenir, of course, is their face with a European on Facebook...  

We resume our litany of temples with Singapore, which is under restoration and therefore inaccessible...

The great Drigung Kagyud lotus Stupa, one of the gateways to the German temple, a huge, very colorful stupa...

The stupa dominates the temple and sets the tone with its swarm of colorful details.

Around the temple, paintings with a thousand details to explore.

Here, goddesses serve as door handles...

A Bhavacakra, the wheel of life.

Details of the Bhavacakra.

Outside, some scenes with statues to tell the life of Buddha.

And large prayer wheels...

...which make children happy.

Then a photo session with a Nepalese family...  

The Linh temple of France, rather sober.

Sprite drink and Canggih biscuits. There are no small offerings...  

No relation to the temple. Although... For a Buddhist, this superb wasp might be the reincarnation of a future great Lama.  

We have finished the western part of the site. We take a rickshaw to reach the great Peace Pagoda far to the north. Conceived by the Japanese Nipponzan Myohoji, it was inaugurated in 2001. It measures 41 meters, and at the very top, relics of Buddha have been deposited.

At the four corners of the stupa, statues covered with gold leaf represent four stages of Buddha's life. On the west side, the end of his physical life before Enlightenment (Parinirvāṇa).

To the north, the Buddha when he took the earth as witness (Bhumisparshaa).

Again, a group of children asks to be photographed... with a high fashion parade pose, of course...  

To the East, the Teaching Buddha (Vitarka).

And finally to the South, the birth of Buddha pointing his hands towards the earth and the sky.

The Selfie Pagoda...

The immense becomes accessible when the steps are small. Thus you will reach the summits, little man.  

We move on to the temples located on the East side of the site. We thus integrate the "Great Vehicle" of the Buddhist religion, starting with the immaculate monument of Thailand, inspired by the Wat Rong Khun temple.

A completely different style for India.

Cambodia reminds us of our fond memories from two years ago...

...especially with this gate simply lifting the Angkor Wat temple...

The Burmese temple.

Its superb golden stupa contains relics of Buddha.

The sun is showing signs of weakness, it won't be long before it sets. That's good, we arrive at the last temple, Sri Lankan by nationality.

Right next door, a monk ties "string bracelets" on tourists' wrists so that luck is never far from the wearer. I let myself be "tied up" by the kind bonze and 10 months later, as I write these lines, Nepal has still not left me.  

No walls but columns to support the roof sheltering frescoes and statues of Buddhas.

Back to our hotel, the Lumbini Guesthouse, where the domestic gecko eagerly awaits the return of its masters... Tomorrow, we leave Lumbini to go to Chitwan and its natural reserve.