Tilaurakot

Tilaurakot is a walled site of some sixty hectares on the Banganga river, with earthen ramparts, a moat, and eastern and western gates exposed by excavation, along with structures interpreted as a palace complex and a stupa area. Most scholars identify it as Kapilavastu, the capital of the Shakya clan where Siddhartha Gautama spent his first twenty-nine years before leaving to seek enlightenment, though a rival identification places Kapilavastu at Piprahwa across the Indian border and the question is not entirely settled. Occupation runs from around the eighth century BC. The site is quiet, set among sal trees and farmland, with a small museum and far fewer visitors than Lumbini. It is on Nepal's tentative list for World Heritage.

What you actually see

• The rampart circuit - earthen walls and moat around the site.
• The eastern gate - the excavated gateway traditionally tied to the departure.
• Palace foundations - the excavated structures at the centre.
• The site museum - finds from the excavations displayed nearby.

When to go

November to February for bearable Terai weather; April to June is severely hot and the monsoon floods the approaches. Mornings are best. It combines with Lumbini on a longer day.

Honest expectations

Everything is at foundation level and the site takes imagination. Interpretation is limited. The Kapilavastu identification is contested and the signage does not explain the debate. Facilities are minimal and the road from Lumbini is slow.

Nearby

Lumbini lies east; Ramagrama is further east.