Prince
Siddhartha was born in a lovely garden called Lumbini. The
main things to see in Lumbini today are the Asokan pillar
with its inscription mentioning that "here the Buddha was
born", the nearby ruins that are presently undergoing restoration
and the modern temples. Lumbini is just a few kilometres
inside Nepal but getting there requires all the formalities
of crossing an international border.
There
are plenty of hotels in Bhairawa which you have to pass
through to get to Lumbini but it is better to stay in some
of the temples near Lumbini. If you intend to enter Nepal
and return
to India you will need to apply for a Multiple Entry Visa
when you get your Indian visa. You can apply for a Nepalese
visa at the border itself. A 15 day visa costs US $15 and
a 30 day visa costs US $25 payable only in either US $ or
Nepalese rupees. Crossing the border can be a slow tedious
business unless 'baksheesh' is offered to officials.
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