Nepal steps up security at all Buddhist shrines

Nepal today stepped up security at all of its Buddhist shrines, including Lumbini, a day after 10 low-intensity serial blasts rocked the historic Mahabodhi temple at Bodh Gaya in the neighbouring Indian state of Bihar.
A security alert has been sounded in all major Buddhist Stupas and shrines in Nepal, where Lord Buddha was born some 2,600 years ago, according to a top official of Nepal Police.
Security has been stepped up in Lumbini, the birth place of Buddha, Tilaurakot of Kapilvastu, and Swoyambhu and Bouddhanath in Kathmandu, which are also the major tourist attractions, said Nabaraj Silwal, spokesman of Nepal Police.

"We will soon deploy more security personnel in these Buddhist shrines in view of the recent attack on the Buddhist shrine in India," he told PTI.
Yesterday, terror struck one of the holiest Buddhist shrines, the Mahabodhi Temple, and other places in Bihar's pilgrimage town of Bodh Gaya, with suspected Indian Mujahideen operatives simultaneously triggering 10 low intensity bombs leaving two monks injured.
Born in Lumbini, 250-km South-West of Kathmandu and close to the border with India, Buddha attained enlightenment in Bodh Gaya.
Recently, a team of international archaeologists have unearthed remains of temples, wooden shrines and a village in Lumbini dating back to 1300 BC. This was for the first time in South Asia that the pre-Ashoka Buddhist shrine was discovered.

Prior to this, Ashoka Pillar built by the Indian Emperor in 300 BC is known as the oldest Buddhist shrine discovered so far.