In the plains of the south of the first foothills of the Churia range, lies Lumbini, birthplace of Gautama, the Buddha. Lumbini is a sacred place for Buddhists from all over the world.. A veteran Asian traveler and author of several books writes, 'As millions of Christians look to Jerusalem for inspiration, and millions of Muslims turn to Mecca, so do three hundred million Buddhists look towards the Himalayan country of Nepal, where a pillar was left by the great Emperor Ashoka to mark the site where Buddha was born.