RELIGIOUS MOVEMENTS
  Gautama Siddhartha                       Vardamana Mahavira
  Born at Lumbni to Sakyas of              Born to Jnatrikas (Natas) of
  Kapilvastu – Suddhodana &                Kundagrama – Siddharta &
  Mahamaya                                 Trishala
  Married to Vashoda and had son           Married to Yashoda and had
  Rahula                                   daughter Anojja
  Renounced the world after                Renounced the world after the
  witnessing four scenes in his 29th       death of his parents inhis 30th year
  year
  Attained Nirvana in his 35th year        Attained Kalvalya in his 42nd year
  under a pipal tree at Bodhgaya           under a sal tree at Jrimbhikagrama
  Passed away at Kushinagar in his         Passed away at Pavapuri in his
  80th year after teaching for 45          72nd year after teaching for 30
  years                                    years
Buddhism
Gautama Buddha’s Life
Gautama or Siddhartha, founder of Buddhism, was born in 563 BC in
Lumbini (now in Nepal) in the Sakya Kshatriya clan of Kapilavastu. His
mother was Maya, a princess of the neighbouring clan of the Koliyas. The
site of his nativity is marked by the celebrated Rummindei Pillar of Asoka.
As Maya died in child-birth, Siddhartha was brought up by his aunt and step-
mother, Prajapati Gautami. His other relatives were Suddhodhana (father),
Yasodhara (wife), Rahula (son) and Devadatta (cousin).
    The sight of an old man, a sick man, a dead body and an ascetic
intensified Siddhartha’s deep hatred for the world and made him realise the
hollowness of worldly pleasures. After the birth of his son, he left home at
the age of twenty nine in search of the Truth. This departure is known as the
‘Great Renunciation’ (mahabhinishkramana).