Efforts are ongoing to preserve Buddha-era monuments and ruins found in Sainamaina of Rupandehi district.

In an initiation of Sainamaina Municipality, authorities have started preserving several archaeologically important objects and places belonging related to Gautam Buddha.

The local unit has set up a temporary museum at Sirantol and kept some historic statues, bricks, utensils, tools and ruins of houses believed to have been built during the time Buddha was alive. Likewise, 11 ancient wells—including Badakuwa and Ranikuwa—have been preserved in various places in Sainamaina.

Sainamaina lies a few kilometres north from Lumbini, the birthplace of Lord Buddha. New human settlements started in the area circa 1965 with the construction of the East-West Highway. According to the locals, various historically and archaeologically important objects like statuettes, kitchen utensils, bricks are frequently recovered while ploughing the field, laying the foundation for constructing sites and from the forests near to the settlements.

According to Mayor Chitra Bahadur Karki, further studies and laboratory test of the historic and archaeological goods preserved in the temporary museum will be conducted to verify Sainamaina as a Buddha-era settlement. “There are several historically, culturally and archaeologically important objects and places in the area. All three level governments will conserve and promote the places and develop them as a tourist destination,” said Karki.

Ministry of Urban Development of the federal government is planning to establish a museum at Bankatta in Sainamaina-1 in the current fiscal year. It is estimated that it will cost around Rs 380 million to set up the museum which covers 12 bighas of land. The federal government allocated Rs 100 million in the current fiscal year. “Physical construction of the museum will be initiated within a few months,” said Mayor Karki.

The federal government has expressed its interest in preserving Sainamaina as a Buddha-era civilisation and promoting tourism there, by including it in the list of 100 new tourist destinations. Last year, the government included Sainamaina in the Buddha circuit. And the Ministry of Culture and Tourism allocated Rs 5 million budget in the last fiscal year to preserve Buddha-era monuments and ruins in Sainamaina.

Sainamaina Municipality has prioritised infrastructure development to develop the area as a tourist destination. A road was constructed to link the local unit with Lumbini. “We will work together with Butwal Sub-metropolis, Lumbini and Devdaha municipalities and private sector to promote tourism in Sainamaina,” said Krishna Prasad Bhandari, administrative officer of Sainamaina.