Dissonance in heritage: the case of Lumbini, Nepal

The purpose of this paper is to discuss heritage issues and conflicts with a case study of Lumbini, the birth place of Lord Buddha. Lumbini has recently been a national icon for tourism promotion and has been able to attract about 40,000 pilgrims and tourists (not including Indians and Nepalis) every year, mostly from Asian countries. From both heritage and tourism point of views, Lumbini is different from many heritage sites. Lumbini is surrounded by non-Buddhist population, which is a major impediment for preservation and management of the heritage. This situation complicates “community involvement,” one of the principles of sustainable development. As a result government and international agencies have been trying to manage the site without much local involvement.