Lumbini
Buddhists have four major world pilgrimage sites related to the episodes of the life of Buddha: place of birth in Lumbini, Nepal, place of attainment of Enlightenment in Bodhgai, India, place of first turning of the Dharma wheel in Sarnath, India and place of departure to Nirvana in Kushinagar, India. In honour of this, a large site was opened in Lumbini with other interpretations of Buddhism, such as Korean, Thai, Chinese, Burmese and others.
Panauti
In no way connected with Lumbini, 30 kilometres south of the capital, there is another small town called Panauti, built on the confluence of two rivers. It amazes with the abundance of temples and pagodas, the grace of Newar woodcarving and the structure of the medieval city, characteristic of the Malla Dynasty, in appearance similar to Bhaktapur and Dhulikhel. As in all other places in Nepal, men wear topi hats that look like tea cosy and eat with their hands.
