Tilaurakot, Western Region, Nepal
Located in the Kapilvastu District, Lumbini Zone of the Western Region of Nepal, the village of Tilaurakot is most likely best known for being the site of the Tilaurakot ruins. It is believed the ruins are the remains of a stronghold of the Kapilvastu/Shakya Kingdom, established by Siddhartha Guatama Buddha’s father, Suddhodana. Excavations carried out in the year 2000 revealed that the fortress which had once stood there had been of considerable size, having a number of smaller buildings within its walls. A nearby museum displays some of the items discovered, many of which date back as far as the seventh century BC.
Lumbini, the birthplace of Siddhartha Guatama Buddha, is located around 25 kilometers from Tilaurakot. It is however believed that Guatama Buddha, the key figure in Buddhist teachings, was raised in Tilaurakot, making this a very special place for Buddhist pilgrims to visit. The historical and spiritual significance of Tilaurakot is not only important to adherents of the Buddhist faith, but is also of interest to the increasing numbers of tourists who visit this fascinating village in the Western Region of Nepal each year.
