Nepal 2025, Day Four (IV: Kudan)

Our final stop for the day was Kudan, located some six kilometres south of Kapilvastu. It was already late in the afternoon, and the site was close to closing. But the security guard, upon seeing that we were accompanied by a monk, none other than our Nandaka Vihara’s Chief Abbot, Bhante Dhammasubho, graciously waved us in.

As we entered, the first thing that caught our attention was a grassy mound off to the left. It was a stupa dedicated to Rahula, the Buddha’s only son from his early life as Prince Siddhartha. It was here, at this very place in Kudan, known in ancient times as Nigrodharama, that Rahula was ordained as a novice monk. He was only eight years old at the time. According to the texts, Rahula had asked his father for his inheritance and instead of wealth or title, the Buddha offered him something far greater: the Dhamma. Rahula was then ordained by the Buddha’s chief disciple, Sariputta. Today, a small Hindu shrine stands atop that stupa. A curiosity indeed, this shrine, a little out of place in the whole scheme of things.

We wandered further in and rounded another stupa, this one constructed of ancient bricks, its base clearly visible despite centuries of weathering. This stupa marks another significant moment, the first meeting between the Buddha and his father, King Suddhodana, after the Great Renunciation. The king, who had grieved for years over his son’s sudden departure, now saw him returned not as the heir to a kingdom but as the Enlightened One. It was here that the Buddha began sharing his teachings with the royal household and the Sakyans.

Perhaps it was the twilight but I felt a certain stillness about Kudan. The ruins are spread over a peaceful patch of land. There was only a little crowd and thus, little distractions. The quietness felt different, as if it remembered the footsteps of monks long past.

Archaeologically, excavations here have uncovered remnants from several historical periods. This was once a thriving monastic centre. The foundations of stupas, an old well, the outlines of a large pond...they all suggest that Kudan played a vital role in the early spread of the Buddha’s teachings. Some accounts even suggest that this area was linked to the establishment of the Bhikkhuni Sangha, the order of nuns under Mahāpajāpati Gotamī, the Buddha’s stepmother and foster mother.

As we left the grounds, sunlight had almost disappeared. The remaining, lingering light turned golden, catching the contours of the ruins in soft relief. I paused for a moment, thinking about Rahula and how this unassuming little place witnessed such deeply personal and spiritual moments in the Buddha’s life. Kudan is understated but it speaks of family, renunciation, reconciliation and the first seeds of the Sangha and that, to me, makes it every bit as sacred as the more well-trodden pilgrimage sites.

Leaving Kudan, we retreated to the Buddha Maya Garden Hotel in Lumbini, everyone deep in our own thoughts. What a day this has been, visiting the Lumbini Gardens, the mahavana forest, Kapilvastu and Kudan. On Day Five of our travels, we shall end our pilgrimage to Lumbini with a visit to the Ramagrama stupa.