Inside 'Buddha's birthplace' - the Maya Devi temple in Lumbini

Nepal plans to develop Lumbini, long identified as the birthplace of Lord Buddha, as a World Peace City.

A final master plan to turn the area in southern Nepal into a global hub for peace and a centre for Buddhist learning was unveiled recently.

The proposal by the Korean International Development Agency envisages an investment of nearly $800 million.

Many argue that despite various attempts to convert Lumbini as the "Mecca of Buddhists", the area is still neglected and requires billions of dollars in investment.

The latest developments came months after archaeologists uncovered remains of what is believed to be the earliest ever Buddhist shrine within the main Maya Devi temple.

Many experts believe the discovery may settle the dispute over the birth date of Siddhartha Gautama, who became the Buddha.

Anbarasan Ethirajan was given rare permission to film inside the Maya Devi temple in Lumbini.