By Binod Prasad Adhikari Bhairahawa [Nepal], June 18 (ANI): Tourists have once again started to throng the Maya Devi Temple in Lumbini considered the birthplace of Gautam Buddha, after two silent years prompted by the Covid pandemic. The UNESCO World Heritage Site, nestled in the Southern Plains of Nepal, is gradually regaining its allure as religious tourism seems to have gained traction again has returned . "It was going great until 2019 when the COVID-19 pandemic struck.
There were about 1.6 million visitors annually, with a strong presence of domestic visitors followed by Indians and visitors from many Buddhist countries - Thailand, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and China. During the COVID-19 pandemic, there were few visitors; sometimes it was countable," Gyanin Rai, Senior Director-Administration at the Lumbini Development Trust (LDT) to ANI.
"Currently, we have a rapidly increasing number of visitors. In 2023, we had about 1.2 million visitors.
Especially from India, we have exceptional guests these days," he added. Lumbini welcomed approximately 70,000 Indian tourists in the first quarter of this year. As per LDT records, 19,360 Indian tourists visited the UNESCO-listed World Heritage Site in January 2024, followed by 20,489 in February and 30,670 in March.
These figures show an increase compared to 2023 when Indian tourist numbers stood at 61,122. "The birthplace of Gautam Buddha, Lumbini, is renowned worldwide. Nepal hosts and preserves this Buddhist heritage, which is famous .
