Nepal Pilgrimage

Lumbini in the plains of south Nepal is the birthplace of Gautama Buddha one of the four major pilgrimage sites for Buddhist. Buddhist pilgrims from all over the world come to Lumbini that has been a world heritage bij UNESCO since 1997.

Birth of Gautama Siddhartha, the Buddha

Gautama Buddha was born in Lumbini in 563 before christ as the son of king Suddhodhana and Queen Maya of the Sakya Kingdom in nowadays southern Nepal / Norther India. (some scientist say 485 bc).
Gautama Buddha was born as their only son while Queen Maya was already 45. Queen Maya (or Maya Devi) got pregnant after she dreamed that white elephant thouched her bellie with his trunk.
At the time she was soon expecting her child Queen Maya traveled to her parents to give birth there as the tradiotion tells you to do.
On her way she has to stop to refresh herself in a small pond. (you can still visit) And then rest under a tree where she gave birth to the Buddha.

Ashoka's Pillar

We know that the Buddha was in Lumbini because in 249 b.c. Emperor Ashoka came to Lumbini and erected an memorial pillar. The pillar has a Brahmi inscription that claims that the Buddha was born here: 
"When King Devanampriya Priyadarshin had been anointed twenty years he came himself and worshipped this spot, because the Buddha Sakyamuni was born here: He both caused to be made a stone bearing a horse and caused a stone pillar to be set up, in order to show that the Blessed One was born here: He made the village of Lumbini free of taxes and paying only one eight share of the produce"

Lumbini has been completly destroyed during Mughal invasions in the 15th century. Though the chinese pilgrim Fashien who visited Lumbini in 403 AD already refers to it as a ruin. 

Only to be rediscoverd in 1896 by a team led by german Dr Alois Anton Fuhrer who escavated Ashoka's Pillar in search of the birth place of the Buddha.

Other main pilgrim spots of Lumbini are the the Maya Devi Temple and the Puskarini pond, where Maya Devi's is said to had a bath just before see gave birth to Gautama.

Chinese traveler Yuan Chuang recorded an detailed travel report of his visit to Lumbini in 635 AD in which he speaks of various stupa's a pillar and maya devi's pond.

There is also a museum to visit.

Countries from all over the world built stupas and monasteries to pay respect to the lord Buddha. According to the Mahaparinibbana Sutta the Buddha himself proclaimed Lumbini as his birthplace to be one of the four major pilgrimage sites for buddhist. The other are his place enlightment, his first place of teaching and the place where the Buddha died which are all in the north of India. 

Though you would say Lumbini is a major pilgrimage site hardly 75.000 pilgrims a year come here.

There are a few hotels to spend the night. in Bhairahawa some 19 km away there is a small airport.

It is possible to visit Lumbini on a day trip from the indian cities Sunauli and Gorakphur

If Lumbini is the real birthplace of the Buddha is still a controversy. If you want to learn more about that you can read Lumbini on Trial article by T.A. Phelps

Used sources in Lumbini article:

Web source

The Search for Gautama Buddha's Birtplace

Books
Born in Nepal - A Miscellany of Buddhist Stories, Legends and Traditions, Susan Höivik