Kapilvastu Municipality

Kapilvastu (also known by name of Taulihawa) is a municipality and administrative center of Kapilvastu District in Lumbini Province of southern Nepal. The municipality is located roughly 25 kilometres (16 mi) to the south-west of Lumbini, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the birthplace of Gautama Buddha.[1][2]

For the ancient city, see Kapilavastu (ancient city).
Kapilvastu
कपिलवस्तु नगरपालिका
Municipality
Entrance gate to Taulihawa, Kapilvastu District, Nepal
Entrance gate to Taulihawa, Kapilvastu District, Nepal
Kapilvastu is located in Lumbini Province
Kapilvastu
Kapilvastu
Location in Lumbini Province
Kapilvastu is located in Nepal
Kapilvastu
Kapilvastu
Kapilvastu (Nepal)
Coordinates: 27°32′N 83°3′E
Country   Nepal
ProvinceLumbini Province
DistrictKapilvastu District
Wards12
Established1982
Government
 • TypeMayor-council
 • MayorSudeep Paudel (NC)
 • Deputy MayorSunita Gupta (NC)
 • Term of office(2022 - 2027)
Area
 • Total136.9 km2 (52.9 sq mi)
Elevation
107 m (351 ft)
Population
 (2011 A.D)
 • Total76,394
 • Density560/km2 (1,400/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+5:45 (NST)
Postal code
32800
Area code076
Websitekapilvastumun.gov.np
Pilgrimage to
Buddha's Holy Sites
The Four Main Sites
Four Additional Sites
Other Sites

Kapilvastu Municipality was established in 1982 with the name of Taulihawa Nagarpanchayat merging Baragdawa, Maalpara, Pipari, Kapilvastu Adarsh Gaau and some portion of Tilaurakot, Gotihawa and Gobari Gaunpanchayat. Later on 7 November 2014 remaining region of Gotihawa and Tilaurakot VDC were included making total 19 wards within this Municipality.[3]

On March 10, 2017, the Government of Nepal restructured the local-level bodies into 753 new local level structures.[4][5] The previous Taulihawa Municipality with Dharampaniya, Dohani, Jahadi, Nigalihawa and Sauraha VDCs were merged to form Kapilvastu Municipality. Now total area of the municipality is 136.91 square kilometres (52.86 sq mi) and total population is 76,394. The municipality is now divided into 12 wards.

The municipality lies at an altitude of 107 metres (351 ft) above sea level[6]

History
The east gate at Tilaurakot archaeological site in Kapilavastu municipality, Kapilvastu District, Nepal.

Many historians claim Tilaurakot located in Kapilavastu municipality (Taulihawa) to be the ancient city of Kapilavastu. On the other hand, some other archaeologists have identified present-day Piprahwa, India as the location for the historical site of Kapilavastu.[7][8] The 19th-century search for the historical site of Kapilavastu followed the accounts left by Faxian and later by Xuanzang, who were Chinese Buddhist monks who made early pilgrimages to the site.[9][10][11][12] Kapilavastu was an ancient city and the capital city of the Shakya kingdom. King Śuddhodana and Queen Māyā are believed to have lived at Kapilavastu, as did their son Prince Siddartha Gautama until he left the palace at the age of 29.[13]

Historical sites

There are many sites of historical interest in or very close to Kapilavastu, including:

See also

Kumarwarti

Notes
  1. UNESCO World Heritage Centre. "UNESCO World Heritage Centre - World Heritage Committee Inscribes 46 New Sites on World Heritage List". unesco.org. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  2. "Lumbini, the Birthplace of the Lord Buddha". UNESCO. Retrieved 1 March 2011.
  3. "Brief Introduction of Kapilvastu Municipality". Retrieved 16 January 2021.
  4. "New local level structure comes into effect from today". www.thehimalayantimes.com. The Himalayan Times. 10 March 2017. Retrieved 17 July 2018.
  5. "New local level units come into existence". www.kathmandupost.ekantipur.com. 11 March 2017. Retrieved 18 July 2018.
  6. "Taulihawa". fallingrain.com. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  7. Tuladhar, Swoyambhu D. (November 2002), "The Ancient City of Kapilvastu - Revisited" (PDF), Ancient Nepal (151): 1–7
  8. Chris Hellier (March 2001). "Competing Claims on Buddha's Hometown". Archaeology. Retrieved 21 March 2011.
  9. Beal, Samuel (1884). Si-Yu-Ki: Buddhist Records of the Western World, by Hiuen Tsiang. 2 vols. Translated by Samuel Beal. London. 1884. Reprint: Delhi. Oriental Books Reprint Corporation. 1969. Volume 1
  10. Beal, Samuel (1911). The Life of Hiuen-Tsiang. Translated from the Chinese of Shaman (monk) Hwui Li by Samuel Beal. London. 1911. Reprint Munshiram Manoharlal, New Delhi. 1973. Internet Archive
  11. Li, Rongxi (translator) (1995). The Great Tang Dynasty Record of the Western Regions. Numata Center for Buddhist Translation and Research. Berkeley, California. ISBN 1-886439-02-8
  12. Watters, Thomas (1904). On Yuan Chwang's Travels in India, 629-645 A.D. Volume1. Royal Asiatic Society, London.
  13. Trainor, K (2010). "Kapilavastu". In Keown, D; Prebish, CS (eds.). Encyclopedia of Buddhism. Milton Park, UK: Routledge. pp. 436–7. ISBN 978-0-415-55624-8.
  14. UNESCO (2014). "Ramagrama, the relic stupa of Lord Buddha". Tentative Lists. Paris: UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 2014-11-30.
  15. "Nepal Census 2001". Nepal's Village Development Committees. Digital Himalaya. Archived from the original on 12 October 2008. Retrieved 14 December 2008.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kapilavastu.
  1. Cula-dukkhakkhandha Sutta - The Lesser Mass of Stress
  2. Sakka Sutta - To the Sakyans (on the Uposatha)''
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