Unearthed temple in Nepal sheds new light on Buddha’s early life

Nepal’s Lumbini has long anchored the Buddhist pilgrimage map as the Buddha’s birthplace. Nearby, however, stand the fortified ruins of Tilaurakot – believed to be the ancient capital where Siddhartha Gautam spent his princely years – a site of profound historical weight that draws only a fraction of the visitors.A newly unearthed temple could change that, archaeologists say, offering fresh evidence that Tilaurakot once held far greater religious significance to Buddhists than its quiet present suggests.The apsidal temple – distinguished by its semicircular rear wall – was uncovered within the ancient citadel and is believed to date from between the third and fifth centuries AD. Researchers say it is the first structure of its kind identified in Nepal.They argue the discovery, announced last week, adds to evidence that Tilaurakot was not only a political centre of the Sakya kingdom but also an active site of Buddhist worship and pilgrimage.Remains of the rare apsidal temple discovered in Nepal’s Tilaurakot where Siddhartha Gautam spent his princely years before becoming the Buddha. Photo: Department of Archaeology, NepalRobin Coningham, a professor at England’s Durham University and co-director of the excavations, told This Week in Asia that the temple was discovered inside a monastery courtyard built over the remains of a palatial complex.