On page 154 in the book, The post-American World Dr. Zakaria mentions incorrectly that though Buddha was an Indian and Buddhism was born in India, there are no true Buddhists in that country. Before anything lets talk about some facts related to Buddha’s birthplace. Kapilavastu is the name of a region of ancient Shakya kingdom that is considered a holy pilgrimage place for Buddhists, located close to Lumbini. The result of years of excavation and research by numerous international teams have concluded that Kapilavastu is in Nepal and is acknowledged by the UNESCO as well as the governments of India and Nepal. Siddhartha Gautama, the Lord Buddha, was born in 623 B.C. in the famous gardens of Lumbini, which soon became a place of pilgrimage. Among the pilgrims was the Indian emperor Ashoka, who erected one of his commemorative pillars there. The site is now being developed as a Buddhist pilgrimage centre, where the archaeological remains associated with the birth of the Lord Buddha form a central feature. Lumbinī is a Buddhist pilgrimage site in the Rupandehi district of Nepal, near the Indian border. It is the place where Queen Mayadevi is said to have given birth to Siddhartha Gautam, who as the Buddha founded the Buddhist tradition. The Buddha lived between roughly 563 and 483 BCE. Lumbini is one of four magnets for pilgrimage that sprang up in places pivotal to the life of the Buddha, the others being at Kushinagar, Bodh Gaya, and Sarnath. In 1896, Nepalese archaeologists discovered a great stone pillar at the site, attributed to Emperor Ashoka . Records made by the Chinese pilgrim Fa Xian were also used in the process of identifying this religiously acclaimed site. The holy site of Lumbini has ruins of ancient monasteries, a sacred Bodhi tree, an ancient bathing pond, the Ashoka pillar and the Mayadevi temple. The truth, however is that Buddha was born at Lumbini in present Rupandehi district of western Terai region in Nepal. A fact accepted by UNESCO while providing world heritage status to the place. With all these existing facts it is very tough to prove that Buddha was not born in Nepal and if anyone says so, they have to come up with authentic findings.

On the same issue there has been a lot of controversy and various people have reacted in different ways and some of their reactions in their own words are as follows:

Dear All,
The Government of Nepal would better support Kathmandu University, Center for Buddhist Studies http://cbs.edu.np/  for such kinds of studies.
The Himalayan Voice Team,
United States of America
On Wed, Jan 27, 2010 at 11:00 AM, Rana 1616 wrote:
Dear Thapaji,
Namaste,
Many thanks for the message below. No, I don’t have that much knowledge on Buddha  and  Buddhism because my knowledge of Sanskrit is very limited hence Pali also.
Before this new controversy broke out we had also discussed  the Buddha birth place controversy at some five/six months ago. (We had no idea at all whether such a book was written or existed). Some funny stuff were posted or directed to me off-list. No single Nepalese scholar  posted any reaction or reply ! [They don't just do it publicly - there are some understandable reasons, I know].
Absurdly enough, Ajit Kumar Tripathy , quoting from both Cunnigham’s ‘The Ancient Geography of India’[1871] and Mahapatra’s  ’The Real Birth Place of Buddha’[1977] claims that the Ashokan pillar in Lumbini is a ’second pillar’ or ‘duplicate or artificial’ as the original one was destroyed during the religious disturbances in Orrisa. He  sticks to  ’Kapileswar inscription’ which  Prof. Dinesh Chandra Sircar has disqualified as ‘bogus and forged’ one. Another renowned Orriya historian Prof. Karuna Sagar Behera has  dismissed the claim that Buddha was born in Kapileswar [ http://tinyurl.com/yl3jlyv ].
Mr. Tripathy also checks linguistically and thinks toponyms like  ’Lumbini’ and ‘Kapilvastu’ as rare in Nepal http://tinyurl.com/y8jecte. But we understand that Lumbini in Magar language is [lumbini> lungbingi> lung (stone)+ bingi (bari or flatland)]. Should he require more linguistic-anthropological proofs - we can provide that too.
To address this issue, I think, no political leaders are required to take to the streets of Kathmandu or burn the book down to ashes. Or no Nepalese home minister should write anything to the culture minister of Nepal http://tinyurl.com/yke7jzz but Nepalese scholars should flex their academic muscle.
Firstly, they should deal with both Cunnigham and Mahapatra’s  works. And then William Claxton Peppé  and Charles Allen’s ’ http://tinyurl.com/yckl6cp and so forth.
And maybe to those who argue Buddhism went out from Iran [ Spread of Early Buddhism - Into Iran or Out of it? http://tinyurl.com/y9ub4aw ]
Nepal government should fund ranking university scholars to ‘cool down’ this controversy.
Thank you,
Rana 1616
Cambridge, Massachusetts,
USA

Dear Rana ji,
I see that you have some knowldege on this issue. Please do some more researching and produce a report.. You will then see people taking actions. You will be the leader.
Govind P. Thapa, PhD, MPA, MA, BL,
Former Additional IGP, Nepal Police,
Program Coordinator, Master in Security Management,
Kathmandu University, School of Management (KUSOM)
Lalitpur-14,G.P.O.Box 12451,Kathmandu,

There is a little hope that Nepal Government would do anything in this case ! And it is not a matter to take to the street by some political leaders also. Only scholars can sort out this issue . The PostAmerican World thing is a new and came in a book form. There are lot  more controversial articles out there hanging in the Internet. Even a writer claims Buddhism went out from Iran [ http://tinyurl.com/y9ub4aw].
The more the protest the more the book will be popular and sold. The writer will earn more. So, academic institutions should come forward.
Thanks,
Rana 1616

On Tue, Jan 26, 2010 at 4:02 PM, Ram Kumar Shrestha wrote:
Dear all,
We organised Kapilvastu Day as Global Day on 1st of December 2009 and we have lots of materials with this issue in our blog http://worldamity.wordpress.com/ If you are not aware about the programme and have no time to go through all the materials, pls go through my interview where I have mentioned most of the activities organised in different countries with this movement कपिलवस्तु दिबसबारे कुराकानी हिमाली स्वरहरुसंग http://nepaliradio.org/2009/12/01/115thepisode/ . If you could send relevant articles or source of articles and links it could be great. Your comments in our posings also highly appreciable.
Ram Kumar Shrestha
UK

Dear All,
a) It is very sad to learn that Nepal’s oldest university is indulged in teaching “Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha (Enlightened One), had been born about 563 BC to a princely family of northern India,” [ A History of Knowledge: Past, Present and Future' . A prescribed text book for the English Department- page 21 http://tinyurl.com/y9p8zco ]
b) On the birth place of Buddha India’s one of the most prominent epigraphers  Prof. Dinesh Chandra Sircar has disqualified the ’Kapileswar inscription’ as ‘bogus and forged’ one. During  the ‘Indian History Congress 1980 in Mumbai’ another renowned Orrisa historian Prof. Karuna Sagar Behera had dismissed the claim that Buddha was born in Kapileswar [ http://tinyurl.com/yl3jlyv ].
c) And may god bless Nepal’s Tribhuvan University !
Thanks,
Rana 1616
Cambridge, Massachusetts
USA

Dear All,
Burning down a book which states Buddha was an Indian [The Post-American World http://tinyurl.com/yj96joj ] is no good thing to do. The other perplexing article http://tinyurl.com/y8jecte is still hanging in the internet. A group of people are divided on the birth place of Buddha.
My only concern is what Prof. Tulsai Ram Vaidhya and Prof. Triratna Manadhar would have said or written about it.
The truth must shine. There is nothing political in it.

Thanks,

Rana 1616

Dear All:
Namaskar
I definitely insist that Buddha is real and born in Nepal. I am quite proud and confident in that. Only thing I am for is to go around developing the Lumbini as a Buddhist learning and meditation center first, without getting into unnecessary political debate. Let people recognize his genius and his preaching of the way of the enlightenment first, without any other issues attached. Let recognition that he is a Nepali clad in Bhadgaole Topi be the side product. And ofcourse, I have absolutely no reservation against the donations coming in from the pilgrims either.
Sincerely,
Tilak Shrestha, Ph.D.

Dear All
Whether Buddha was a real human or mythical hero is a question and whether Christ  was also a real human is yet  another question asked.  So  the birth place for anyone should not be that important - agreed.
There is yet another book review in ‘Telegraph’ from London
‘The Buddha and Dr Fuhrer: An Archaeological Scandal ’ http://tinyurl.com/yckl6cp  and also see ‘The Buddha and the Sahibs’ ] in which  Charles Allen disregards Dr. Anton Fuhrer’s  Lumbini findings Alexander Cunnigham already had discredited  in 1871 [The Ancient Geography of India - Google Digitized Book].
Following Cunnigham’s footprints, Chakradhar Mahapatra brought this controversy out  in 1977 [ The Real Birth Place of Buddha] and uptill now Indian writers claim Buddha was born in Orrisa. The latest in the line has become Fareed Zakaria [ a Harvard PhD and International Editor, Newsweek Magazine. His book The Post-American World has been burnt down in Nepal recently  http://tinyurl.com/yj96joj ].
In the meantime  an Indian Professor down here in USA had written in an email discussion that Orrisa, being one of the poorest states in India,  would virtually want to boost its revenue  also from tourism declaring Kapileswhor as Buddha’s  birth place.  Furthermore  another Indian scholar had mockingly suggested to rotate Buddha’s birth place  in between Lumbini of Kapilvastu, Nepal  and Lembai of  Kapileswara, Orrisa like Olympic Games every four years !
End Note:  Nepalese scholars  always stand silent when there is such a debate. They just keep quiet, don’t they ?
Thanks,
Rana 1616
Cambridge,  Massachusetts
USA

Dear all,

What makes me sick are things like this. What difference does it make–whether Buddha was born in Lumbini or in Orissa? Let Buddha be owned and honoured by all– irrespective of their religion and culture. Let Buddha be respected and adored for not being a Nepali or Indian but for being a Preacher of Nonviolence and Peace Maker in the world. Similarly, let Mahatma Gandhi be reverred, well respected not for being Indian but for his great philosophy by all. The internal soul is more important and permanent. The physical boundaries should not be important.
Even if someone claims something out of ignorance or malintention that does not mean the history is changed. The fact remains fact.
Govind P. Thapa, Nepal

Dear all:
Namaskar
As I wrote before I have some what different view on it. I think we should not bother shouting that Buddha was born in Nepal. First Buddha is global, not local personality, and then there were no Nepal or India as we know now. However, more importantly we should have intelligent approach on the issue.
We need to build one five star hotel and five one star hotels. And we also need to build many meditation halls, libraries and Buddhist study center. Then we should promote Lumbini as pilgrimage, meditation retreat and tourist site. Let people from all over the world come here for enlightenment, slow if not instant.
Let a Nepali tell an Indian that Buddha was born in India. If the Indian was ever been to Lumbini, I imagine he would correct the Bahadur with knowing smile.
May Buddha bless us all.
Sincerely,
Tilak Shrestha, Ph.D.

Dear RanaJI
There is no doubt that the birth place of Lord Buddha is born in Nepal In Lumbini.Many documents for proof is available in the old manuscripts. Many  materials of that time have been found during excavations of Lumbini. This is accepted by international bodies. So it is true Buddha is not born in India.
Thank  You
Bina
Associate Librarian
Tribhuban University, Central Library

From: ashutosh.x.shrivastav@unnepal.org
Date: Sun, 24 Jan 2010 11:15:03 -0600
Subject: (UNN) RE: Mr. Zakaria’s Ignorance
I’ve been watching Mr. Zakaia’s GPS since the inception of his show.  I could not believe that Mr. Zakaria, a person with sound academic background & a host of CNN, would write something this erroneous.  I hope Mr. Zakaria did not do it intentionally.  The below arguments presented by Mr. Zakaria were relevant 2500 years ago. Precisely, the word “Indian” did not even exist since there wasn’t India or Nepal.  It was called “Prachin Bharat” or Aryavart.  India was born in 1947; Nepal was unified in 1761.  It’s evident that Nepal existed before India.  As such, labeling Buddha as Indian represents a higher degree of ignorance & it’s tragic for Mr Zakaria not addressing this issue in his show or apologizing in public.  It’s never late to learn a lesson, Mr. Zakaria.
Sincerely,
Ashutosh Shrivastav
Secretary General
United Nationalist Nepalese (UNN)
A Non Profit Advocacy Organization

IS LUMBINI  A PART OF INDIA ?
No, it’s not. Simple.
On Sat, Jan 23, 2010 at 10:26 PM, K……. T…… wrote:
On last Poush 01, 2066  Bikram Era [ i.e. December 16, 2009 ], an Indian Tourist Guide asked a group of Thai tourists to sing Indian National Anthem infront of Ashoka Stambha (pillar) at Lumbini, saying that it was a part of India.
Some Nepali Buddhists,who were standing nearby, stopped them from chanting the foreign national anthem, saying that it was Nepal.
There was no reaction from the Government of Nepal,nor the Nepali Press !?!
As concerns the controversy surrounding Buddha’s birth place, Dr. Michael Witzel, a world renowned indologist and Senior Professor at Harvard has pointed out below that the Indian researchers/writers make partisan voice in this issue.
Ajit K. Tripathy [ajitktripathy@hotmail.com] the Chief Secretary and the official voice of Government of Orrisa (2004) has claimed that Buddha was born in Kapileshowr, Orrisa http://orissagov.nic.in/e-magazine/Journal/jounalvol1/pdf/orhj-3.pdf but he does not bother answering any questions he was asked or directed in this debate [Prof. S. D. Muni in an email has answered Lumbini as the real birth place].
Prof. Kulke has retired recently so could not be reached out. And according to Prof. Witzel Kulke has nowhere said or written that Buddha was born in Orirsa instead he has attested it for Lumbini. Prof. Witzel has named  “a partisan website” for http://www.buddhistchannel.tv/index.php?id=4,448,0,0,1,0 which reads Prof. Kulke as backing  the claim that Buddha was born in Orrisa.
With best,
Rana 1616
On Thu, Jan 14, 2010 at 3:05 PM, del Pilar, Jessica H wrote:
Thank you for taking the time out of your day to write to me. I understand that you were displeased by one section, particularly with my saying that “Buddha was Indian.” You rightly point out that the Buddha was born in Lumbini, in modern-day Nepal—not in India.
Please know that I meant no disrespect to Nepal, a country that I love. The Buddha was born and lived 2,500 years ago, in an age before modern-day boundaries were drawn and before the idea of a nation-state even existed. When I referred to the Buddha as “Indian” I meant it only in the geographic sense of the word, as a person hailing from the Indian subcontinent—not as a citizen of a particular state. I apologize if I offended you.
All best,
Fareed Zakaria

Dear Prof. Kulke,
I am a Nepalese currently residing in USA. While in Nepal I used to teach, research and write on linguistic-anthropological issues and sometime socio-political issues also.
I have a concern to write to you. Let me begin with this way that the birth place of Buddha has been in a kind of controversy again. Some Indians [researchers/writers] without going deep into fact of the matter write this and that haphazardly, I would rather say. The Chief Secretary of Government of Orissa [ Ajit K. Tripathy] has also done it http://orissagov.nic.in/e-magazine/Journal/jounalvol1/pdf/orhj-3.pdf !
Recently, a book ‘THE POST-AMERICAN WORLD’ [I have not read this book as of today] written by Fareed Zakaria [a Harvard PhD and/Newsweek International Editor http://www.newsweek.com/id/32251 ] has been burnt down in Sindhupalchowk District, some 4/5 hour hill-road drive east of Kathmandu   http://www.mysansar.com/archives/2010/01/id/8568
Burning down a book to demonstrate difference may not be wise thing to do but theirs seems to me a nationalistic sentiment as the writer’s himself.
My question here is: have you also backed the claim that Buddha was born in Orissa. http://www.buddhistchannel.tv/index.php?id=4,448,0,0,1,0 ?
In Nepal what is much in currency is that India always portrays itself as a Big Brother [ Bade Bhai] in South Asia. And also the people, I mean the Indian people, think they are granted for doing whatever comes in their mind which virtually offends the people of a sovereign country like Nepal that has remained independent for all the ages.
With all the best,
Rana 1616

I sincerely differ here. I am indifferent actually on Buddha’s birth place whether it was  Lumbini of Nepal or Kapileshowr in Orissa, India.
I sometime think was Buddha a real human or a mythical personage. But there are also some who believe Buddha was born in  Orissa http://orissagov.nic.in/e-magazine/Journal/jounalvol1/pdf/orhj-3.pdf
As of nation-state sort of thing - was there any India  some 2500 years ago ? I hope you have pretty fair knowledge of Ashokan inscription ””hida Bhagavam jateti Lumminigame”  also. It even doesn’t say Lumbini was in India and “Buddha was an Indian”.
Thanks,
Rana 1616
Woodland Heights

Dear Rana and others:
Why you guys are wasting your time and my webspace in Inbox?  You are doing all the wrong things with no results.  Please do not forward me any email, otherwise I will have to inform abuse@yahoo.com for SPAM emails.
For your information, there are many unacceptable facts printed in the western media, however, even after many emails and other efforts, these guys don’t care.  Even the Indian guy is a hypocrite who started all this stupid email chains.  I have taken number of cases with the printers, but have had very few successes.
In fact, these guys get ‘free publicity’ and that will get them ‘more focus’ in media.  That will sell more books, and they will make more money, when you guys are stupidly giving them more ‘publicity’.  The best approach is ‘just ignore’.  Nothing is going to change- neither the teachings of Buddha, nor the effect of Buddhism on the world.
Bye, please do not forward me any email on this subject.
Yogi Hemant Panchpor alias Aadeshnath
416-653-8125 Toronto, Canada
http://filedby.com/author/AADESHNATH/2896575/
http://www.youtube.com/user/Aadeshnath

From: Bina Vaidya
To: rana1616@yahoo.com
Sent: Sat, January 23, 2010 11:46:25 PM
Subject: RE: CONTROVERSY AGAIN/ THE REAL BIRTH PLACE OF BUDDHA/THE POST-AMERICAN WORLD
Dear RanaJI
There is no doubt that the birth place of Lord Buddha is born in Nepal In Lumbini.Many documents for proof is available in the old manuscripts. Many  materials of that time have been found during excavations of Lumbini. This is accepted by international bodies. So it is true Buddha is not born in India.
Thank  You
Bina
Associate Librarian
Tribhuban University, Central Library