The True Location of Kapilavastu

Abstract

After discovery of the Pāḍariyā pillar inscription in 1896, it has been generally believed that the spot of Buddha’s birth was situated very close to the location of that inscribed pillar. It is because the inscription contains the words, ‘here was born Buddha, the Sakyamuni’. Furthermore, it has been believed that this inscription was meant to record the pilgrimage of King Aśoka to Lumbinī. Actually, these beliefs are the result of wrong interpretation of the inscription. Moreover, Pāḍariyā differs in respect of many vital points from the narratives of Lumbinī’s location, which are found in the travel accounts of the Chinese Pilgrims and in Buddhist scriptures. These clearly indicate that the identification of Pāḍariyā with Lumbinī was a mistake.

Śrāvastī district or Kośala has been described by Fa-hien as a country of Mid-India. This means that Kapilavastu, situated about 100 miles southeast of śrāvastī, should also be in Mid-India. Many Buddhist texts too describe Kapilavastu as being situated in Kośala and in Mid-India. If Kapilavastu was situated in Mid-India and at the same time was situated in the country of Kośala, then it means that it was situated in the Kośala of Mid-India. Out of the two Kośalas which existed in the past, North and South, it is South-Kośala which was situated in Mid-India. This forms the basis of the hypothesis that Kapilavastu should have been situated in South-Kośala region. This South-Kośala hypothesis leads to entirely new places, Kapilabhata and Limpara, being proposed to be identified with Kapilavastu and Lumbinī.