Himal Press 
LUMBINI: A group of 1,250 South Korean students visited Lumbini – the birthplace of Lord Buddha – on Sunday.
The team is led by Venerable Pomnyun Sunim, the head master of Jungto Society Korea. He is a teacher, writer, environmentalist, and social leader.
Venerable Metteyya Sakyaputta, vice chairperson of Lumbini Development Trust, welcomed Venerable Pomnyun and 1,250 students, and delivered a sermon on Buddha’s teachings.
After visiting the Mayadevi Temple, a discourse program was held at the Korean Monastery followed by a meditation session in the evening. The students queued at the Mayadevi Temple for about an hour. They offered prayers at the marker stone, Ashoka pillar and the sacred Pushkarini pond. Likewise, they also visited the peace flame and toured the monastic zones.
The team came to Lumbini after visiting three other Buddhist sites in India – Bodhgaya, Sarnath and Kushinagar. The students are scheduled to visit Tilaurakot – the ancient Shakya capital where Lord Buddha is believed to have spent 29 years of his life – on Monday.
The COVID-hit tourism industry of Lumbini is gradually reviving. According to LADT, Lumbini welcomed nearly one million visitors in 2022, compared to 508,892 in 2021.
