At the sacred site of Siddhartha Gautam's birth, archaeologists run amok, architects are needlessly ostentatious and sects outspend each other. The meaning of the dharma is greatly diluted.
It all began with a Buddhist from Burma named U Thant. As UN Secretary General, he made a pilgrimage to Lumbini in 1967 and reportedly wept at seeing the sorry condition of the Buddha's birthplace. His heartache woke Nepalis up to the fact that the preservation of what was clearly an international heritage was an urgent responsibility.
A committee, which is now called the Lumbini Development Trust (LDT), was formed to look into ways to develop Lumbini. In 1978, a master plan backed by the UN and designed by world-renowned Japanese architect Kenzo Tange, provided the outline for preserving the ancient ruins as well as turning an inaccessible, barren site into one that would appeal to pilgrims and tourists alike. This ambitious plan was to bring much pride to Nepal's Buddhist legacy.
Today, nearly 20 years later, little progress has been made in the effort to develop Lumbini. The Lumbini Development Project has been marked by negligence and corruption, and the lethargic implementation of the grandiose scheme has brought little benefit to the locals, many of whom were displaced by the Project. Archeological work has caused great upheaval within the sacred garden and some of the devout speak of desecration. There seems little doubt that the excavations, which were to unlock the Sakyamuni Buddha's past, have been irresponsible.