Kapilavastu

Why in news? PM inaugurated Grand International Exposition of Sacred Piprahwa Relics related to Bhagwan Buddha in New Delhi on 3rd January 2026.
•    Piprahwa relics were discovered in 1898. 
•    It holds a central place in the archaeological study of early Buddhism. 
•    Archaeological evidence associates the Piprahwa site with ancient Kapilavastu, widely identified as the place where Bhagwan Buddha spent his early life.
Gautama Buddha 
•    Born in 567 B.C. at Lumbini Garden near Kapilavastu
•    Father: Suddodhana (of Sakya clan); Mother: Mayadevi
•    Brought up by his aunt Prajapati Gautami
•    Married Yasodhara at the age of 16; had a son Rahula
•    Left home at the age of 29 in search of truth
•    Attained Enlightenment (Nirvana) under the Bodhi tree at Bodh Gaya at the age of 35
•    Came to be known as Buddha (the Enlightened One)
•    Gave first sermon at Sarnath near Benares
•    Preached for 45 years
•    Died at the age of 80 at Kusinagara