Baby Buddha taken from Lumbini to Tilaurakot

KAPILVASTU, May 26: The Baby Buddha, who was a symbol when Mayadevi returned to Tilaurakot Palace with Bodhisattva Siddhartha, has been taken to Tilaurakot Palace in Kapilvastu.

On the second day of Buddha Purnima, Siddhartha Gautama was taken from Lumbini to his hometown of Kapilvastu, according to tradition.

Kalpana Harijan, Deputy Chief of Lumbini Cultural Municipality, and Sanuraja Shakya, Member Secretary of Lumbini Development Trust, handed over the metal idol of Baby Buddha (Bodhisattva Siddhartha) to Kapilvastu Assistant Chief District Officer Bhavishwar Ghimire, who delivered it to the ancient Tilaurakot palace.

Sanuraja Shakya, the trust's member secretary, stated that a procession of the Bodhisattva Buddha statue was held to commemorate the occasion when Buddha, who was born in Lumbini, returned to his village Tilaurakot while traveling to Mayadevi Maitighar.

On the 2567th Buddha Jayanti, the Foundation organized a 26-kilometer procession to the Baby Buddha, which included the bazagaza. Council member Gopikrishna Sharma stated that an effort was made to recall the time of returning to the capital Kapilvastu (Tilaurakot) 2600 years ago, following the birth of Prince Siddhartha.