Ripu Malla () was the

Maharaja Maharaja (also spelled Maharajah or Maharaj; ; feminine: Maharani) is a royal title in Indian subcontinent, Indian subcontinent of Sanskrit origin. In modern India and Medieval India, medieval northern India, the title was equivalent to a pri ...

dhiraja of the

Khasa Kingdom Khasa-Malla kingdom (), popularly known as Khasa Kingdom () and Yatse () in Tibetan, was a medieval kingdom established around the 11th century in regions that are presently in far-western Nepal and parts of Uttarakhand state in India. The ...

who reigned in the early 14th century. He is best remembered for being the last visitor to

Lumbini Lumbinī (, "the lovely") is a Buddhist pilgrimage site in the Rupandehi District of Lumbini Province in Nepal. The Buddhist commentaries state that Maya Devi gave birth to Siddhartha Gautama in Lumbini around 624 BCE. Gautama is bel ...

, the birthplace of the

Gautama Buddha Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha (),* * * was a śramaṇa, wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism. According to Buddhist lege ...

that left an inscription of his visit. In 1312, he visited Lumbini and left in an inscription in

Nigali Sagar Nigali Sagar (also called Nigliva, Nigali Sagar pillar, Nighihawa pillar, Nigliva pillar, or Araurakot pillar) is an archaeological site in Nepal containing the remains of a pillar of Ashoka. The site is located in Nigalihawa, about 20 kilometer ...

that reads "''

Om Mani Padme Hum ' (, ) is the six-syllabled Sanskrit mantra particularly associated with the four-armed Shadakshari form of Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva of compassion. It first appeared in the Mahayana ''Kāraṇḍavyūha sūtra'', where it is also referr ...

Sri Ripu Malla Chidam Jayatu Sangrama Malla'' (May Prince Ripu Malla be long victorious)". After his visit, Lumbini universally, known to be the birthplace of the Gautama Buddha, disappeared and slowly became a forest, due to the

decline of Buddhism in the Indian subcontinent Buddhism, which originated in India, gradually dwindled starting in the 4th–6th century CE, and was replaced by Hinduism approximately in the 12th century, in a centuries-long process. Lack of appeal among the rural masses, who instead e ...

. The pillar was re-discovered in 1893 by

Khadga Shumsher Jung Bahadur Rana ''Commanding-General His Highness Raja'' Khadga Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana () or Khadga Shamsher Jang Bahadur Kunwar Rana previously known as Khadga Shamsher Kunwar Rana was Nepalese politician, military general, governor and courtier in the King ...

. The same year, he invaded the

Kathmandu Valley The Kathmandu Valley (), also known as the Nepal Valley or Nepa Valley (, Newar language, Nepal Bhasa: 𑐣𑐾𑐥𑐵𑑅 𑐐𑐵𑑅, नेपाः गाः), National Capital Area, is a bowl-shaped valley located in the Himalayas, Hima ...

(then known as Nepal Valley). In Kathmandu, according to the

Gopal Raj Vamshavali The Gopal Raj Vamshavali (IAST: Gopālarājavaṃśāvalī, Devanagari: गोपालराजवंशावली) is a 14th-century hand-written manuscript of Nepal which is primarily a genealogical record of Nepalese monarchs. One of the m ...

, Malla reportedly publicly worshiped at

Swayambhunath Swayambhu Maha Chaitya (Devanagari: स्वयम्भू स्तूप; Nepal Bhasa: स्वयंभू; Swayambhu Great Stupa, or ''Swayambu'' or ''Swoyambhu'') is an ancient religious complex atop a hill in the Kathmandu Valley, west ...

, Matsyendranath, and

Pashupatinath Temple Shri Pashupatinātha Temple () is a revered Hindu temple dedicated to Pashupati, a manifestation of the god Śiva. Located on the banks of the sacred Bagmati River in Kathmandu, Nepal, the temple is one of the oldest and most significant religiou ...

to show his supremacy in Nepal. Nigali Sagar pillar 13th century inscription

References

14th-century Nepalese people Nepalese royalty Nepalese Buddhists {{Nepal-royal-stub