Kapilvastu Municipality

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Pilgrimage to
Buddha's Holy Sites
The Four Main Sites Bodh Gaya Kushinagar Lumbini Sarnath
Four Additional Sites Rajgir Sankissa Shravasti Vaishali
Other Sites Ajanta Amaravati Barabar Caves Bharhut Chandavaram Devdaha Ellora Caves Kapilavastu Kesaria Stupa Kosambi Lalitgiri Mathura Nalanda Nasik Pataliputra Pāvā Piprahwa Pushpagiri Ramagrama stupa Ratnagiri Sanchi Udayagiri Tilaurakot Varanasi Vikramashila
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Kapilavastu (Pāli: Kapilavatthu) is the name of a region of ancient Shakya kingdom that is considered a holy pilgrimage place for Buddhists. The search for the Buddha's birthplace following the accounts left by Xuanzang and Faxian involved various searches in the late 19th century. The location of ancient Kapilavastu is under dispute. The archaeologists have identified Piprahwa, an archaeological site in India (15 km south of Lumbini) as the historic Kapilavastu, whereas the Nepalese Government has disputed the location of Kapilavastu, claiming that Tilaurakot (27 km from Lumbini) is the original Kapilavastu.

Tilaurakot had been the citadel complex of the larger surrounding Kapilvastu Kingdom, alleged to be founded by Lord Buddha's father Śuddhodana, the chief of the Shakya, one of several ancient tribes in the growing state of Kosala. "kot" in Tilaurakot is Nepalese denoting fortress. It lies approximately five kilometers north of Taulihawa, the modern district center of Kapilvastu District, (approx. 30,000 inhabitants). Tilaurakot was excavated by Robin Coningham and Armin Schmidt. The excavation revealed a considerable walled fortress approximately 300 meters long and 200 meters wide and containing exposed foundations of several building complexes. Some 150 meters before Tilaurakot's western gate (the modern main entrance) lies a small, neglected, but quaint museum housing coins, painted grey ware and northern black polished ware pottery, and toys excavated from the site dating between the seventh century BC and fourth century AD. The museum also has good collection of jewelry and other ornaments of that period.

Tilaurakot lies 25 kilometers east of Lumbini, the birthplace of Siddhartha Gautama.

Tilaurakot is at the following coordinates: 27°34′35″N 83°03′18″E / 27.576455°N 83.054978°E / 27.576455; 83.054978.

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UNESCO has declared Lumbini as a World Heritage Site. It is recognized by UNESCO that the birth place of the Gautam Buddha is in Lumbini. It is widely accepted that the Lord Buddha spent the first 29 years of his life in nearby Kapilavastu. The location of Kapilavastu is under dispute.

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has identified Piprahwa, an archaeological site in India (15 km south of Lumbini) as the historic Kapilavastu. Remains of a large stupa and a number of monastic buildings, dating from Buddha's lifetime to the early centuries AD were found by them during excavations from 1975 to 1979, including a relic casket from the earlier period. Also found were a number of sealings referring to Kapilavastu.

The Nepalese Government has disputed the location of Kapilavastu, claiming that Tilaurakot (27 km from Lumbini) is the original Kapilavastu. This archeological site contains the remains of a city wall and moat as well as the foundations of a residential compound. In 1996 the Nepalese Government petitioned UNESCO for World Heritage Status for this site as Kapliavastu. UNESCO has not certified it as such as of 2010.

• Lumbini, the site of birthplace of Gautama Buddha and Buddhism
• Nigrodharama, a Buddhist Monastery close to Kapilavastu, where Buddha used to live when visiting Kapilavastu.
• Kapilvastu District

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kapilavastu.

• Entry on Kapilavatthu in the Buddhist Dictionary of Pali Proper Names

• Description of Kapilavastu by the Chinese pilgrim monk Faxian (399-414 AC)

• Suttas spoken by Gautama Buddha concerning Kapilavatthu: (more)

1. Cula-dukkhakkhandha Sutta - The Lesser Mass of Stress
2. Sakka Sutta - To the Sakyans (on the Uposatha)''