Lumbini Province (Nepali:लुम्बिनी प्रदेश,romanized: Lumbinī pradēśa) is aprovince in westernNepal. The country'sthird largest province in terms of area as well aspopulation, Lumbini is home to theWorld Heritage Site ofLumbini, where according to the Buddhist tradition, the founder ofBuddhism,Gautama Buddha was born.[1]
Lumbini bordersGandaki Province andKarnali Province to the north,Sudurpashchim Province to the west, andUttar Pradesh andBihar ofIndia to the south. Lumbini's capital,Deukhuri, is near the geographic center of the province; it is a small town which is currently being developed to meet the prerequisite of a provincial capital. The major cities in the province areButwal andSiddharthanagar inRupandehi district,Nepalgunj inBanke district,Tansen inPalpa district, andGhorahi andTulsipur inDang district.
The Lumbini province is named after the holypilgrimage site ofLumbini inRupandehi district, the birthplace ofGautama Buddha – the founder ofBuddhism. The Provincial Assembly adopted Lumbini Province as the permanent name by replacing its initial nameProvince No. 5 on 6 October 2020 andDeukhuri was declared the provincial capital.[2][3][4]
The Churiya range linked with theDang valley of Lumbini province has been archaeologically considered very ancient with the existence ofSivapithecus, a link between manand ape. The pre-historic studies of the valley have been carried out extensively since the last century; by Tribhuvan University since 1966,American Museum of Natural History and the Department of Mines of then His Majesty's Government of Nepal from 1976, as well as thePaleolithic study of Dang valley byUniversity of Erlangen-Nuremberg ofGermany in 1984, among others. These researches have pointed out that Dang valley was a lake approximately 2.5 to 1 million years ago.[5] In addition,Hand axes and other artefacts dated to earlyPaleolithic (1.8 million to 100,000 years ago) have been found in alluvial deposits along theBabai River in Dang Valley, which have been classified asAcheulean or second-generation tools that succeed the oldestOlduwan. Also along theBabai River, there have been discoveries of archeological sites dated toUpper Paleolithic/Late Pleistocene (about 50,000 to 10,000 years ago).
As per the Buddhist tradition, QueenMaya Devi ofKapilavastu was traveling to her father'sKoliya kingdom in Devdaha to give birth to her child as was theShakya tradition. However, on the way she stopped near the garden of Lumbini to rest and went into labour thus giving birth to the future Buddha under asal tree.Gautama Buddha was born in 623 BC in Lumbini, testified by the inscription on the pillar erected by the Mauryan EmperorAshoka in 249 BC which marks the spot as the birthplace ofBuddha Shakyamuni.[1] The inscription mentions, as translated by Paranavitana:[6]
When King Devanampriya Priyadarsin had been anointed twenty years, he came himself and worshipped (this spot) because theBuddha Shakyamuni was born here. (He) both caused to be made a stone bearing a horse and caused a stone pillar to be set up, (in order to show) that the Blessed One was born here. (He) made the village of Lumbini free of taxes, and paying (only) an eighth share (of the produce).
According to theBuddhist texts,Gautama Buddha was born as a prince in a royalShakya clan reigning over the kingdom ofKapilavastu. This ancient city has been widely identified as Tilaurakot of presentKapilvastu district where ruins of the ancient fortified city have been found.[7] Gautama was a prince ofKapilavastu until the age of 29, after which he left the palace behind and wandered throughout the Ganges plain as an ascetic – learning yoga and related concepts from various teachers.[8] Gautama became theBuddha or theEnlightened One after several years of his wandering, one day under theBodhi tree inBodh Gaya. After enlightenment, he began his teachings and travelled extensively throughout the Ganges plain. The original teachings of Buddha later culminated intoBuddhism, spreading through much ofAsia then and the world at present.
After the death ofGautama Buddha, eight princes out of sixteenmahājanapadās received Buddha's relics, one of them aKoliyan king ofRāmagrāma (presentParasi district) who built a stupa enshrining the relic.Buddhist texts point out the princes constructed a stupa at or near their capital city and enshrined Buddha's relics.[9] The site has the only undisturbed original stupa containing the relic ofGautama Buddha in the world,[10] and was added to theWorld Heritage Tentative List byUNESCO on 23 May 1996.
EmperorAshoka The Great, having converted toBuddhism after being victorious in brutal wars, devoted himself to the spread ofBuddha's teachings and erected monolithic columns known asPillars of Ashoka at sites associated with the life ofGautama Buddha.One such pillar was erected by Ashoka inLumbini in 249 BC, commemorating the sacred site ofGautama Buddha's birth and declared the village free of taxation.[1][6]
In dedication to the twoBuddhas of the past, Ashoka also set up a stone pillar and enlarged the stupa marking the birthplace ofBuddha Kanakamuni atNigali Sagar inKapilvastu District. Another pillar, also inKapilvastu District, was erected commemoratingKakusandha Buddha.[11]
During the medieval period after the 11th century,Khasa Kingdom dominated much of western Nepal and westernTibet which was initially oriented towardsBuddhism and Shamanism, and at their peak encompassedGuge andPurang ofTibet and western Nepal up to Kaskikot. King Ripumalla, one of the initialKhasa rulers, left an inscription on the Ashoka pillar with six-syllablemantra of Buddhism and his wish"Om mani padme hum: May Prince Ripu Malla be long victorious", dated around 1312 CE.[12][13][14]
After the late 13th century, Khasa kingdom disintegrated into numerous principalities each with its own ruler. In the 18th century, KingPrithvi Narayan Shah, born from the marriage of kingNara Bhupal Shah of theGorkha Kingdom and QueenKaushalyavati Devi, the princess of thePalpa kingdom; set out on a conquest to unify the region into modern Nepal.
TheAnglo-Nepalese War (1814–1816) took place between theGorkhali army of theKingdom of Nepal and the British forces of theEast India Company for two years leading to theSugauli Treaty in 1816 which demarcated the boundary of the Kingdom of Nepal. Among the prominent battles during theAnglo-Nepalese War, theBattle of Jitgadhi - fought in January 1815 and again in April 1815 - was marked by the victory of theGorkhali army. The Nepalese ColonelUjir Singh Thapa, who led the kingdom of Nepal to victory in this battle, is revered as one of the national heroes in the military history of Nepal.[15]
Battle of Jit Gadhi
After theKingdom of Nepal outright refused the proposal of BritishEast India Company which wanted to claim its sovereignty in the territories of Butwal and Sheoraj, General John Sullivan Wood of theEast India Company led an offensive column to the fort ofJit Gadhi in January 1815 AD. The frontier fort, which was surrounded by dense forest and situated on the west bank of the riverTinau on a primary route toTansen, was being held by Nepalese ColonelUjir Singh Thapa - the nephew of Nepalese Prime MinisterMukhtiyarBhimsen Thapa.
Although low in number and acutely inferior in firepower, the strong resistance put forward by ColonelUjir Singh Thapa thwarted the incursion of the British forces into Nepal twice in January 1815 and April 1815. The battle established Colonel Thapa as a national military hero and forced the English troops to withdraw.[15]
During the Rana regime, the region was politically divided into administrative districts Butwal, Palpa, Deukhuri, Sallyana, Banke, Bardiya and Pyuthan.
Lumbini, with an area of 22,288 square kilometers (8,605.44 sq. mi) covers about 15.1% of the country's total area. Lumbini Province is almost the size ofUS state ofNew Jersey. The province extends 150 km (93 mi) north to south and about 300 km (186 mi) east to west at its maximum width. It shares 413.14 km (256 mi) of border with India (states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh).[16]
The Province is geographically bordered with Gandaki Province to the east and north, by Karnali province to the north and west, by Sudurpaschim Province to the west and by India to the south. There are three ecological regions of Mountains, Hills and Terai; each occupying 3.1%, 69.3% and 27.6% of the province respectively.[17]
| Ecological regions | Percentage of territory |
|---|---|
| Mountains | 3.1% |
| Hills | 69.3% |
| Terai (plain) | 27.6% |
Lumbini has a humid subtropical climate and experiences four seasons. The winter in January and February is followed by summer between March and May and the monsoon season between June and September.[18] In winter, it's sunny and mild, pleasantly warm during the day but cool at night, sometimes even cold. The average temperature in January is around 15 °C (59 °F). But the northern parts of the province get colder and can experience snowfall. By March, the temperature rises considerably and it begins to be hot, while from April to June it's scorching hot, and highs can reach or exceed 40 °C (104 °F) in southern plains.
In June, the summermonsoon arrives, characterized by heavy rains, in the form of downpours and thunderstorms. The monsoon arrives first in the east, in early June, while in the west it comes in the middle of the month or so. The temperature decreases, with the maximum dropping to around 32 °C (90 °F) in July and August, but the humidity increases, making the heat muggy. The rains are heavy, especially in July and August, when they exceed 300 millimeters (12 inches) per month, but in certain areas at the foot of the mountains, they can exceed 600 mm (23.5 in) per month.[19] The monsoon starts to withdraw by early October in the west, and about a week later in the east. The weather returns to be sunny, and even though October is still a hot month, the humidity decreases, and the night temperature becomes a bit cooler.
| Location | August (°F) | August (°C) | January (°F) | January (°C) | Annual Precipitation (mm/in) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Butwal | 79 | 26.1 | 55.6 | 13.1 | 1827.2/71.9 |
| Gulariya | 84.4 | 29.1 | 59.4 | 15.2 | 1503.7/59.2 |
| Nepalgunj | 84.4 | 29.1 | 59.5 | 15.3 | 1302.1/51.3 |
| Siddharthanagar | 79.7 | 29 | 55.4 | 15.9 | 1762.7/69.4 |
| Sitganga | 75.6 | 24.2 | 51.8 | 11 | 1633.2/64.3 |
| Tansen | 76.8 | 24.9 | 53.4 | 11.9 | 1949.3/76.7 |
| Tulsipur | 79.7 | 26.5 | 55.4 | 13 | 1495.4/58.9 |
Dang and Deukhuri valleys, 10 km apart, are located in theDang Deukhuri District. The Dang Valley lies between the Mahabharat Range in the north and theChuria Range in the south. It forms a nearly 1,000 km2 (390 sq mi) plain within a localdrainage basin of less than 3,000 km2 (1,200 sq mi). It is drained by theBabai River, and is one of the largestInner Terai valleys. Deukhuri Valley is southeast of the Dang Valley and extends about 60 km (37 mi) in WNW-ESE direction with a maximum width of 20 km (12 mi), and is surrounded bySivalik Hills on all sides. It forms a nearly 600 km2 (230 sq mi) plain within a drainage basin of 6,100 km2 (2,400 sq mi). The valley is drained by theWest Rapti River.
The elevations of Dang and Deukhuri valleys are 700 meters and 300 meters from sea level respectively. LateCenozoic sedimentary sequences are well exposed along the southern part of Dang and all sides of Deukhuri valley, and mostly consist of deformed rocks resulting from the persistence of shortening betweenIndian Plate andEurasian Plate.[21] The two valleys have been considered a vital location ofPaleolithic archeology in SouthAsia due to the abundant presence of ancientPaleolithic tool sites.[22]
Other small valleys of the province are located in districts like Arghakhanchi (Rapti), Palpa (Rampur), Gulmi (Simaltari), Pyuthan (Darban andBajipur).[23]
About 15% of the total land is covered inprotected forest in the province.
| Districts | Forest (%) | Area (ha.th.) |
|---|---|---|
| Arghakhanchi | 59.69 | 73.96 |
| Banke | 62.70 | 117.91 |
| Bardiya | 56.82 | 113.69 |
| Dang | 65.60 | 200.72 |
| Gulmi | 41.83 | 46.34 |
| Kapilvastu | 36.92 | 60.97 |
| Parasi | 81.30 | 22 |
| Palpa | 56.62 | 82.77 |
| Pyuthan | 48.95 | 64.67 |
| Rolpa | 52.82 | 99.60 |
| Rukum | 39.39 | 66.25 |
| Rupandehi | 19.54 | 25.51 |
| Total | 50.43 | 974.38 |
Being the only mountain district of Lumbini province, most of the prominent peaks of the province lie inEastern Rukum District along the Dhaulagiri range.[25] The tallest mountain of Lumbini Province in Eastern Rukum,Putha Himchuli also known as Mount Dhaulagiri VII, has an altitude of 7,246 meters and is one of the popular trekking peak of the Dhaulagiri region.[citation needed] The mountain was first ascended jointly by British explorer J.O.M Roberts and Nepalese climber Ang Nyima Sherpa in 1954.[26] Mount Sisne I remained an unclimbed summit until 2013, and the first successful ascent was made by a mountaineering team led by Man Bahadur Khatri.[27]
| S/N | Mountains | Elevation (meters) | District | Range | Additional Information |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mount Putha I | 7,246 | Eastern Rukum District | Dhaulagiri Range | 95th highest in the world. Date of first ascent: 1954 AD |
| 2 | Mount Putha II (Putha shoulder) | 6,598 | Eastern Rukum District | Dhaulagiri Range | |
| 3 | Mount Dogari (South) | 6,315 | Eastern Rukum District | Dhaulagiri Range | |
| 4 | Mount Samjang | 5,924 | Eastern Rukum District | Dhaulagiri Range | |
| 5 | Hiunchuli Patan | 5,916 | Eastern Rukum District | Dhaulagiri Range | |
| 6 | Mount Nimku | 5,864 | Eastern Rukum District | Dhaulagiri Range | |
| 7 | Mount Sisne II | 5,854 | Eastern Rukum District | Dhaulagiri Range | |
| 8 | Mount Sisne I | 5,849 | Eastern Rukum District | Dhaulagiri Range | Date of first ascent: 26 May 2021 AD[29] |
A recent 2023 study in the highland community areas of the Himalayan region in Eastern Rukum has shown their disproportionate impact toclimate change crisis, such as changes in rainfall patterns, droughts, unpredictable seasonal changes and absence of snow.[30] The direct impacts are being felt more severely by pastoral communities due to depleting grasslands.UN Mission in Nepal (UNMIN) is operational in eastern Rukum, and is a development partner in areas such as climate vulnerability, sustainable environmental and economical development, among others.[31]
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Three regions of the province have been designated as protected; two national parks in theTerai lowlands ofBanke andBardiya - namelyBanke National Park andBardiya National Park which constitute the Tiger Conservation Unit of Nepal and a hunting reserve in the north of the province calledDhorpatan Hunting Reserve inEastern Rukum which is the only hunting reserve in the country.[32]
With a multi-altitudinal variation in regional landscape stretching from high mountains in the north, to the hills in the middle and to the plains of the south; Lumbini province has 97 lakes with the plains ofTerai constituting 92% of all the lakes of the province. The hilly and the mountain region constitute 6% and 2% of all the lakes respectively. District-wise,Rupandehi has 28 lakes making it the district with the largest number of lakes of the province; followed byKapilvastu (24),Parasi (21),Dang (8),Banke (4),Bardiya (3),Arghakhanchi (2),Palpa (2),Pyuthan (2),Eastern Rukum (2) andRolpa (2).[33] Some of the most popular lakes of the province areBahrakune,Jakhera,Gajedi andTaalpokhara.
One of the five sacred rivers ofBuddhism, the ancient Airavati river now known as theWest Rapti River, has its drainage source in the lesser Himalayas ofEastern Rukum in the north of the province.[34] The river flows traversing the districts ofEastern Rukum,Rolpa,Arghakhanchi,Pyuthan,Dang, andBanke. The river then flows to theSravasti district ofIndian State ofUttar Pradesh - one of the ancient and most sacred city ofBuddhism whereGautama Buddha spent most of his life after enlightenment.[35] TheRohini River, one of the prominent river flowing throughKapilvastu andRupandehi, is a left tributary of theWest Rapti River.Gandaki River, on the north-east, marks the boundary of Lumbini province withGandaki Province.
Another river calledBabai River draining the inner Terai ofDang Valley,Salyan andBardiya remains a river of particular international archeological interest. The discovery of ancientHand axes and other artifacts on the deposits along the river inDang Valley have marked the region as prehistoric. The artifacts have been dated to earlyPaleolithic (1.8 million to 100,000 years ago) and are classified asAcheulean or second-generation tools that succeed the oldestOlduwan.[5]
In 2021 Lumbini had a census population of 5,122,078 with 1,141,902 households.[36]
The province is very ethnically diverse. The largest group is theMagar with 14.6% of the population. The second largest isTharu with 14.3%. TheKhas/Chhetri (14.2%),Hill Brahmin (11.3%),Muslims|Musalman (6.9%),Kami (6.1%), [[Yadav]] (4.1%),Chamar (2.1%),Damai (1.9%),Kurmi (1.7%), 1.[37]
The majority of population in the province practicesHinduism, followed byIslam,Buddhism andChristianity. Among these, almost 90% of the people identify themselves as Hindus and 7% identify themselves as Muslims, 3% as Buddhists and 1% as Christians. Often cited as an example of social harmony, the majority population of Hindus and Muslims ofLumbini and the surrounding villages have safeguarded and promoted the Buddhist heritage sites together in unison.[38]
Nepali is the most spoken language of the province, but is also a home toTharu community and 'Tharu language' with 600,000 speakers. The province also has many speakers ofBhojpuri,Awadhi, andMagar languages.[39]
TheLanguage Commission of Nepal has recommendedTharu andAwadhi as official languages in the province. The commission has also recommendedBhojpuri,Magar andMaithili to be additional official languages, for specific regions and purposes in the province.[40]
| Languages | Percentage Speakers | Number of Speakers |
|---|---|---|
| Nepali | 50.00% | 2,273,980 |
| Tharu | 13.3% | 595,304 |
| Bhojpuri | 11.9% | 508,630 |
| Awadhi | 11.5% | 497,701 |
| Magar | 4.6% | 204,034 |
| Maithili | 2.1% | 54,135 |
| Nepal Bhasa | 0.6% | 27,413 |
| Gurung | 0.4% | 19,520 |
| Other | 5.6% | 56,097 |
There is a total of 109 local administrative units in the province which include four sub-metropolitan cities, 32 urban municipalities, and 73 rural municipalities.[41]
Districts in Nepal are the second level of administrative divisions afterprovinces. Lumbini Province is divided into 12 districts, which are listed below. A district is administered by the head of theDistrict Coordination Committee and the District Administration Officer. The districts are further divided into municipalities or rural municipalities.
After the state's reconstruction of administrative divisions,Nawalparasi District andRukum District were divided intoParasi District andNawalpur District, andEastern Rukum District andWestern Rukum District respectively.[42]
| Districts | Nepali | Headquarters | Area (km2.) | Population (2011)[43] | Official Website |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kapilvastu District | कपिलवस्तु जिल्ला | Taulihawa | 1,738 | 571,936 | [1] |
| Parasi District | परासी जिल्ला | Ramgram | 634.88 | 321,058 | [2] |
| Rupandehi District | रुपन्देही जिल्ला | Siddharthanagar | 1,360 | 880,196 | [3] |
| Arghakhanchi District | अर्घाखाँची जिल्ला | Sandhikharka | 1,193 | 197,632 | [4] |
| Gulmi District | गुल्मी जिल्ला | Tamghas | 1,149 | 280,160 | [5] |
| Palpa District | पाल्पा जिल्ला | Tansen | 1,373 | 261,180 | [6] |
| Dang District | दाङ जिल्ला | Ghorahi | 2,955 | 552,583 | [7] |
| Pyuthan District | प्युठान जिल्ला | Pyuthan | 1,309 | 228,102 | [8] |
| Rolpa District | रोल्पा जिल्ला | Liwang | 1,879 | 224,506 | [9] |
| Eastern Rukum District | पूर्वी रूकुम जिल्ला | Rukumkot | 1,161.13 | 53,018 | [10] |
| Banke District | बाँके जिल्ला | Nepalganj | 2,337 | 491,313 | [11] |
| Bardiya District | बर्दिया जिल्ला | Gulariya | 2,025 | 426,576 | [12] |
| Lumbini Province | लुम्बिनी प्रदेश | Deukhuri | 22,288 km2 | 4,499,272 | [13] |
Cities and villages are governed by municipalities inNepal. A district may have one or more municipalities. Lumbini has two types of municipalities.
The government of Nepal has set out a minimum criteria to meet city and towns. These criteria include a certain population, infrastructure and revenues.
| Rank | District | Pop. | Rank | District | Pop. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
.jpg) Ghorahi | 1 | Ghorahi | Dang | 156,164 | 11 | Shivaraj | Kapilvastu | 66,781 |  Nepalgunj  Butwal |
| 2 | Tulsipur | Dang | 141,528 | 12 | Gulariya | Bardiya | 66,679 | ||
| 3 | Nepalgunj | Banke | 138,951 | 13 | Buddhabhumi | Kapilvastu | 64,949 | ||
| 4 | Butwal | Rupandehi | 138,741 | 14 | Siddharthanagar | Rupandehi | 63,483 | ||
| 5 | Tilottama | Rupandehi | 100,149 | 15 | Krishnanagar | Kapilvastu | 65,602 | ||
| 6 | Kapilvastu | Kapilvastu | 76,394 | 16 | Rajapur | Bardiya | 59,553 | ||
| 7 | Banganga | Kapilvastu | 75,242 | 17 | Ramgram | Parasi | 59,455 | ||
| 8 | Lumbini Sanskritik | Rupandehi | 72,497 | 18 | Bansgadhi | Bardiya | 55,875 | ||
| 9 | Kohalpur | Banke | 70,647 | 19 | Sainamaina | Rupandehi | 55,822 | ||
| 10 | Barbardiya | Bardiya | 68,012 | 20 | Sunwal | Parasi | 55,424 | ||
The Governor acts as the head of the province, while the Chief Minister is the head of the provincial government. The Chief Judge of the Tulsipur High Court is the head of the judiciary.[44] The Speaker of the Assembly is Purna Bahadur Gharti.[45] Umakanta Jha is the first Governor of Lumbini Province.[46] Current Governor Dharma Nath Yadav was appointed on 4 November 2019 by thePresident of Nepal.[47]
Lumbini provincial assembly is theunicamerallegislative assembly consisting of 87 members. Candidates for eachconstituency are chosen by thepolitical parties or stand as independents. Each constituency elects one member under thefirst past the post (FPTP) system of election. The current constitution specifies that sixty percent of the members should be elected from thefirst past the post system and forty percent through theparty-list proportional representation (PR) system. Women should account for one-third of total members elected from each party. If one-third percentage are not elected, the party that fails to ensure so shall have to elect one-third of the total number as women through theparty-list proportional representation.
| Party | Parliamentary party leader | Seats[48] | |
|---|---|---|---|
| CPN (UML) | Lila Giri | 29 | |
| Nepali Congress | Dilli Bahadur Chaudhary | 27 | |
| CPN (Maoist Centre) | Jokh Bahadur Mahara | 10 | |
| Nagrik Unmukti Party | Dharma Bahadur Chaudhary | 4 | |
| Rastriya Prajatantra Party | Ashish Kumar Chaudhary | 4 | |
| Janamat Party | Chandrakesh Gupta | 3 | |
| Loktantrik Samajwadi Party | Santosh Kumar Pandeya | 3 | |
| People's Socialist Party | 3 | ||
| CPN (Unified Socialist) | 1 | ||
| Rastriya Janamorcha | 1 | ||
| Independent | 2 | ||
| Total | 87 | ||
As of 2021, Lumbini Province is the 2nd fastest growing province in Nepal afterBagmati Province and is third out of theseven provinces in terms of its contribution to theGDP (14% as of 2021).[49] The two major custom points of Nepal,Nepalganj andSiddharthanagar (Bhairahawa) are situated in the south of the province, and are major transit zones of trade and transport through India.[50] The rapidly expanding cities in Lumbini province,Butwal andSiddharthanagar inRupandehi District,Ghorahi andTulsipur inDang District, andNepalgunj andKohalpur inBanke District are major industrial centers.[51]
Ranking 2nd in the number of banks and financial institutions in Nepal afterBagmati Province;[52] several projects have been launched in the province to boost economic growth. Construction of theGautam Buddha International Airport, upgrade of theNepalgunj Airport into an international airport as per the 20-years master plan, establishment of industrial units inSpecial economic zone, and the opening of new hotels are expected to spur further economic growth in the province.[53][54] The national pride projects which have been initiated in the province include:[52]
| Project | Investment (NPR) |
|---|---|
| Sikta Irrigation Project | 25.2 Billion |
| Babai Irrigation Project | 18 Billion |
| Bheri-Babai Diversion Multipurpose Project (including Karnali Province) | 33 Billion |
| Gautam Buddha International Airport | 6 Billion |
| Lumbini Development Trust | 7.5 Billion |
| Electricity Transmission Project (including Bagmati Province) | 61 Billion |
| North-South (Karnali) Highway (including Karnali Province) | 4.1 Billion |
The province has bothtemperate andtropical climates and is diverse in terms of agriculture crop production potentialities. The province is best suited for agriculture production with five core terai districts, one inner terai, and 6 other hill districts. The land is very fertile and a good source of irrigation prevails.Sikta Irrigation Project andBabai Diversion and Irrigation project have benefited the agricultural production. The major crops are paddy, mustard, wheat, maize, sugarcane, vegetables, potato, lentils and cotton.[55] Lumbini is self-sufficient in milk, cereal crops and pulses.
| Land use | Percentage | Area (Hectares) |
|---|---|---|
| Arable land | 45.5% | 404,541 |
| Temporary Crops | 44.9% | 398,849 |
| Permanent crops | 5% | 44,388 |
| Woodland/Forest | 0.9% | 8,343 |
| Meadows/Pasture | 0.6% | 5,561 |
| Temporary Fallow | 0.5% | 4,389 |
| Temporary Meadows | 0.2% | 1,303 |
| Pondes | 0.1% | 828 |
| Other | 2.4% | 21,017 |
Lumbini province ranks 2nd in the country afterBagmati Province in the share of small, cottage and micro-level industries numbering 81,164 that create an estimated 493,686 employment.[49] The province also ranks 2nd nationally, after Bagmati, in the share of manufacturing industry output.[57] By 2021, there were 16,549 registered companies in the province. In 2022,Samsung Electronics inaugurated a television assembly plant inNawalparasi.[58] Making the country self-sufficient in cement, Lumbini has the largest number of cement industries and constitutes 75% of total national production.[59]
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Two of the prime industrial estates of Nepal in Lumbini Province - Nepalgunj industrial estate (district), the oldest industrial estate of the province, was established in 1973 AD and Butwal industrial estate was established in 1975 AD. Combined, the two industrial estates have about a hundred industries in the zone and are a significant source of revenue of the country. Post-promulgation of theConstitution of Nepal in 2015, further industrial estates were declared in the province by the Council of Ministers of the Government of Nepal: Motipur industrial estate inRupandehi and Naubasta industrial estate inBanke districts.[60] Similarly, Dang industrial estate has been declared inDang district.[61]
In addition, tourism industry is a massively growing industry in Lumbini province, welcoming the largest numbers of tourists in Nepal from about 113 countries worldwide.[62][63]
Lumbini, considered one of the holiest place inBuddhism associated with theBuddha's birth, is aWorld Heritage Site and the most visited place in Nepal with 1.5 million tourist arriving annually.[62] Lumbini has a number of older temples, including theMayadevi Temple - a site traditionally considered to be the birthplace of the Buddha, and various new temples funded by Buddhist organizations from various countries that have been completed or are still under construction.
The ancient ruins of complex structures have been conserved in the area including the Shakya tank – the remains within the Mayadevi Temple with brick structures and cross-wall system that have been dated from the 3rd century BC,Ashoka pillar, excavated remains of Buddhist monasteries of the 3rd century BC to the 5th century AD and the remains of Buddhist stupas (memorial shrines) dated between the 3rd century BC to the 15th century AD.[64] In addition to the ruins of ancient monasteries, there is a sacredBodhi tree and an ancient bathing pond.
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Lumbini complex is divided into three areas: Sacred garden, Monastic zone, Cultural center and new Lumbini village. The sacred garden is the epicenter of the complex which is centered around the birthplace ofBuddha and consists of the Mayadevi Temple, the Asoka Pillar, the Marker Stone, the Nativity Sculpture, Sacred Pond (Puskarini), and many structural ruins including Buddhist Viharas & Stupas.[65] The monastic zone is divided into east and west each reflecting two different schools of Buddhism. As a centre of pilgrimage, many countries have established their monasteries in the complex reflecting their own cultural design and spirituality. In the large monastic zone only monasteries can be built; no shops, hotels or restaurants are allowed. The zone is divided into an eastern and western monastic zone, the eastern having theTheravadin monasteries, the western having theMahayana andVajrayana monasteries. The Cultural Center consists of museums, Lumbini International Research Institute (LIRI), administration complex etc. and the New Lumbini Village has the World Peace Pagoda and the Lumbini Crane Sanctuary. World Peace Pagoda lies at the northern end of the Lumbini complex and was designed by Japanese buddhists to represent universal peace.
Widely attributed as the hometown ofGautama Buddha, theKapilvastu District of present-day Nepal has more than 130 archaeological sites, primarily concentrated in Tilaurakot, Kudan, Gotihawa, Niglihawa, Araurakot, Sagarhawa and Sisaniya. The region is also considered the hometown of two previousBuddhas before Gautama:Kakusandha Buddha who was born in Gotihawa andKoṇāgamana Buddha who was born in Niglihawa.[11] Among three Ashoka pillars in Nepal, two are situated in Gotihawa and Niglihawa erected during King Ashoka's visit to ancient Kapilvastu.Tilaurakot, considered the cardinal point of the ancient Shakyan city of Kapilavastu whereGautama Buddha spent 29 years of his lifetime, was added to theWorld Heritage Tentative List byUNESCO in 1996.[66]
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Kudan is another key historical site related to Buddha’s life, where he reunited with his family after attaining enlightenment.
After the death ofGautama Buddha, his relics were divided among eight princes out of sixteenmahājanapadās.AKoliyan king ofRāmagrāma (presentParasi district), built a stupa enshrining one relic.[9]Known as the only undisturbed original relic of Buddha in the world,[10] the site of stupa was added to theWorld Heritage Tentative List byUNESCO on 23 May 1996.
The Dhaulagiri circuit in Eastern Rukum encompasses theDhaulagiri mountain range of the northern Lumbini Province. The Dhaulagiri mountain range extends from the northwest to the northeast of Eastern Rukum district and then continues eastward to its tallest peak at Dhaulagiri I.Putha Hiunchuli (Dhaulagiri VII), one of the most popular 7,000-metre mountains, was first climbed by British explorerJ. O. M. Roberts andSherpa Ang Nyima in 1954.[26]
The West Dhaulagiri circuit is a tourist trekking circuit close to the Dhaulagiri mountain range andMagar-majority villages, with a distinct preserved KhamMagar culture of the northern Lumbini province. The circuit's eastern portion is situated along the Dhorpatan reserve of Eastern Rukum, which was designated to preserve high-altitude ecosystems in western Nepal in 1983.[67] The reserve harbours alpine, sub-alpine and high temperate vegetation and 137 species of birds. Endangered animals in the reserve include themusk deer,wolf,red panda,cheer pheasant anddanphe.
Bardiya National Park is the largest national park in the lowland Terai, covering 968 square kilometres.It was established in 1976 to protect the representative ecosystem, habitats oftigers and their prey species.As a beautiful, unspoiled wilderness ofsal forest, grassland, and alluvial washes cut by the many fingers of theKarnali River, it is a popular tourist destination, offering elephant rides and wilderness sight-seeing of Gangetic dolphins, tigers, rhinos and elephants.
In 1997, a buffer zone of 327 square kilometres surrounding the park was declared, consisting of forests and private lands.The buffer zone is jointly managed by the local communities and the park and community development and resource management is carried out jointly.[68]
The Babai valley, which is rich in biodiversity, was added to the park in 1984.The zone has wooded grassland and riverine forest and its water is home to Gharial crocodile.More than 30 different mammals, 513 species of birds and several species of snakes, lizard and fishes have been recorded in the park area.[69]
Banke National Park, adjacent to the Bardiya National Park with the coherent protected area of 1,518 km2 (586 sq mi), represents the Tiger Conservation Unit (TCU).The national park was established in 2010 and is a protected area oftiger andfour-horned antelopes. The park extends over 550 square kilometers in Banke district of the province. Banke National Park is connected with Bardiya National Park in the west and wildlife sanctuary and forests of India in the south. The protected zone is an important component of Terai Arc Landscape (TAL) that provides habitat for tigers.The park has eight ecosystem types: Sal forest, deciduous Riverine forest, savannahs and grasslands, mixed hardwood forest, flood plain community, Bhabar and foothills of Chure range. It is home to 124 plants, 34 mammals, more than 300 birds, 24 reptiles, 7 amphibians and 58 fish species. Under the National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act 1973, 3 species of mammals (tiger, striped hyaena, four-horned antelope), 4 species of birds (giant hornbill, black stork, Bengal florican, and lesser florican) and 2 species of reptiles (gharial crocodile and python) are protected in the park.[70]
Religious sites
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The culture of the province has been shaped by multi-religious and multi-ethnic demography as well as the historical development of the Indian sub-continent.Hinduism, the dominant religion of the province and the cultural sacred sites related to it, are prevalent throughout the province. Hinduism flourished overwhelmingly inDang valley where the cultural centers of the HinduNath tradition connected to YogiGorakhnath were established long before the creation of modern Nepal. A prominentGorakhnath temple inDang district, also known as Ratnanath temple, remained an ancient temple which was respected and protected by the ruling kings of the region throughout - including the later kings of theShah dynasty.[71]
Further popular Hindu sites in Dang district includeAmbikeshwori Temple with a deity ofShiva and GoddessSati Devi; and Pandaveswor temple which has the world's largest trident and believed to be where the fivePandavas brother prayed to LordShiva.[72][73] To the south-western region of Lumbini province,Shiva and GoddessDurga are worshipped inBageshwori Temple inBanke District.[74] Other prominent temples of the province includeBhairabsthan Temple ofPalpa where LordBhairava is worshipped as a deity andSwargadwari temple ofPyuthan which has the deities ofShiva andVishnu.
Islam, the second-most followed religion of the province, is mostly distributed in the southern districts bordering India.Kapilvastu andBanke districts have one of the largest Muslim population of Nepal and along withRupandehi, constitute almost half of all the Muslims in Nepal.[75] One of the oldest mosque of Nepal established in 1950 AD,Jama Masjid Rahmaniya, is situated inRupandehi District.
Within and aroundLumbini, sacred sites related to the birth and childhood ofGautama Buddha are pilgrimage centers forBuddhists throughout the world. Lumbini Development Trust, an autonomous and non-profit organization manages the Buddhist sites inLumbini and the master plan is initiated together with theUnited Nations to ensure long-term safeguarding of the archeological sites of global importance.[76]
Rani Mahal
After being forced to drop his royal titles,General Khadga Shumsher was sent toPalpa as a Commander in Chief of Nepal where his beloved youngest wife, Rani Tej Kumari Devi, died. The General constructed a grand palace and named it after his wife asRani Mahal ("Queen's Palace") in 1893 AD. He also named the nearby forest around the palace as Rani ban ("Queen's forest").[77] The palace is at the banks of theKali Gandaki River.
Supa Deurali Temple
Supa Deurali Temple is aHindu temple located inSandhikharka municipality,Arghakhanchi district of Nepal.[78] It lies at an altitude of about 4,500 feet. Supadevi is considered to fulfill the wishes of devotees.[79][80] In addition to goddess Bhagavati, there are idols of Ganesh, Mahakali, Mahalaxmi and Shiva in the temple.[81] The donation received from the devotee is used to run two local schools.
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As per the 2021 census, Lumbini's literacy rate was above the national average at 78.1%, the national average being 76.2%.[82] The breakdown of the data showed that the male literacy stood at 85.2% while female literacy stood at 71.7% in the province. District-wise,Palpa andDang were the best performers with literacy rate of 83.7% and 81.4% respectively, followed byRupandehi at 81.2%. Nationally,Palpa was also among the top five districts of Nepal with highest literacy rate alongsideKathmandu,Lalitpur,Bhaktapur andKaski.[83]
By 2014,Palpa District was one of the first 4 "fully literate" districts of Nepal, achieving a literacy rate of over 95%.[84][85] By 2018, further districts of Lumbini province namely,Arghakhanchi,Gulmi,Pyuthan,Dang,Parasi,Rupandehi,Rolpa,Bardiya andEastern Rukum District were classified as fully literate districts of Nepal.[86]
Universities
According to the National Demographic Health Survey (NDHS) 2016, the Province'sNeonatal Mortality (per 1000 live births) stands at 30 andInfant mortality rate (per 1000 live births) stands at 42, both of which are higher than the national average of 21 and 32 respectively. The province has 670 public health facilities, including four hub hospitals, 18 hospitals, two regional medical stores, 31 primary health care centers, 570 health posts, 27 urban health centers, 15 community health units and 9 other health facilities.[87]
In Lumbini province, 49.2% of the population have radio access and followed by 30.4% have access to TV, and only 1.3% have access to the internet. Similarly, 4.4% of the population have access to landline telephone, while 65.8% have access to mobile phone. There are three major cell phone providers in Lumbini Province. They areNepal Doorsanchar Company Limited (NTC),Ncell Axiata Limited (NCELL) andSmart Cell. The coverage of Smart Cell providers is only in 5 districts.
There are 66 newspaper channels in Lumbini Province with national, provincial, and local outreach. As per the classification, some of the top-ranking newspapers are Gorachya Dainik, Dainik Nepalgunj, and Mechikali Sandesh Dainik. There are a total of 63 radio stations in the province, such asRadio Lumbini, Radio Tulsipur, Bheri F.M., etc.[88]
91% of the population has access to electricity in the province. Of the 12 districts in Lumbini Province,Parasi,Kapilvastu andBardiya have been electrified by more than 99 percent.Gulmi,Arghakhanchi andRupandehi have more than 95 percent electrification andRukum East has the lowest electrification of 11.25 percent.[89] Lumbini generates 21.2MW of electricity fromhydropower.[90] Total number of electricity consumers in the province is 457992, consuming 370.8 Million MWh of energy annually. According toNEA, Distribution and Consumer Service Directorate 93% of consumers are domestic users; loss of electricity in the province is 12.17% for the year 2076/77 (2020 AD). Out of the total loss in distribution provincial office,Gularia contributes the highest loss percentage of 25.02%.
Butwal Solar PV Project, Nepal's first private grid-connected solar power plant, was connected to national transmission line in October 2020. Ridi Hydropower Company has constructed the power plant inTilottama ofRupendehi District. With over 32,000 solar panels of 330 watts each, the plant can generate 8.5MW of electricity.[91]
Transportation routes in Lumbini evolved since
H01. Lumbini has two major routes,H01 and
H10 both intersecting inButwal. 8,931 km of road is constructed in the Province. Out of which 5,293 km is blacktopped.
All 12 districts of the province are connected via blacktopped roads. Major highways of the province are as follows:
H01) traverses districts of Bardiya, Banke, Dang, Kapilvastu, Rupandehi, Parasi latitudinally. It connects toBagmati to east andSudurpaschim to the west.
H12) to Karnali Province. It starts at Nepal- India border inNepalgunj and terminates at Birendranagar, Surkhet. The highway transition into the Karnali Highway system from the point it terminates.
H11) starts from Ameliya,Dang and terminates atMusikot West Rukum. This highway makes hilly regions of Rolpa, Salyan West Rukum and east Rukum accessible.H10) highway starts at Nepal-India Border in Siddharthanagar and terminates at Prithivi chowk, Pokhara. The major settlements on the highway are Siddharthanagar, Butwal, Tansen, Waling, Putalibazar, Syangja and Pokhara.
H17)Bhairahawa andNepalgunj have always been major trade routes withIndia. Lumbini has no railways butEast West railway,Kathmandu-Lumbini railway and several other routes connecting Indian cities are planned.[93][94][95]
Gautam Buddha International Airport,Nepalgunj Airport andDang Airport are major airstrips in the province.Nepalgunj Airport, Nepal's second most busiest airport after Tribhuwan International Airport, is being upgraded to an international airport as per the 20 year master plan.[54] Being mostly flat land air travel isn't preferable butNepalgunj Airport serves as hub for most of the airports inKarnali Province andSudurpaschim Province and is a transit point for tourists heading toLake Manasarovar andMount Kailash inTibet.[96][97] New airports are under construction inResunga (Gulmi District) andSandhikharka (Arghakhanchi District).[98][99]
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