Buddhism in Nepal started spreading since the reign of Ashoka through Indian and Tibetan missionaries. The Kirati people were the first people in Nepal who embraced Gautama Buddha’s teachings, followed by the Licchavis and Newar people. Shakyamuni Buddha was born in Lumbini in the Shakya Kingdom. Besides Shakyamuni Buddha, there are many Buddha(s) before him who are worshipped in different parts of Nepal. Lumbini lies in present-day Rupandehi District, Lumbini zone of Nepal. Buddhism is the second-largest religion in Nepal. According to 2001 census, 10.74% of Nepal's population practiced Buddhism, consisting mainly of Tibeto-Burman-speaking ethnicities and the Newar. However, in the 2011 census, Buddhists made up just 9% of the country's population.

Rupandehi District, a part of Lumbini Province, is one of the seventy-seven districts of Nepal and covers an area of 1,360 km2 (530 sq mi). The district headquarter is Bhairahawa. As per the national census 2011, the population of Rupandehi was 880,196.