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Siddhārtha was born more than 200 years before the reign of the [[Maurya]] king [[Ashoka the Great|Aśoka]] (273–232 BCE).

Siddhārtha was born more than 200 years before the reign of the [[Maurya]] king [[Ashoka the Great|Aśoka]] (273–232 BCE).

Siddhartha was born in [[Lumbini]]<ref>http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/buddhistworld/lumbini.htm</ref> and raised in the small kingdom or principality of [[Kapilavastu]]. His father was King [[Suddhodana]]{{Fact|date=December 2007}}, the chief of the Shakya nation, one of several ancient tribes in the growing state of [[Kosala]]; Gautama was the [[family name]]. As was the Shakya tradition, when his mother Queen Maya fell pregnant, she returned to her father's kingdom to give birth, but after leaving [[Kapilvastu]], she gave birth along the way at [[Lumbini]] in a garden beneath a [[sal]] tree.

Siddhartha was born in [[Lumbini]][http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/buddhistworld/lumbini.htm] and raised in the small kingdom or principality of [[Kapilavastu]]. His father was King [[Suddhodana]]{{Fact|date=December 2007}}, the chief of the Shakya nation, one of several ancient tribes in the growing state of [[Kosala]]; Gautama was the [[family name]]. As was the Shakya tradition, when his mother Queen Maya fell pregnant, she returned to her father's kingdom to give birth, but after leaving [[Kapilvastu]], she gave birth along the way at [[Lumbini]] in a garden beneath a [[sal]] tree.

The day of the Buddha's birth is widely celebrated in [[Theravada]] countries as [[Vesak]].<ref>{{cite book|author= Turpie, D|date=2001|title=Wesak And The Re-Creation of Buddhist Tradition|location=[[Montreal]], [[Quebec]]|publisher=[[McGill University]]|page=3|url=http://www.mrsp.mcgill.ca/reports/pdfs/Wesak.pdf}}</ref> Various sources hold that the Buddha's mother died at his birth, a few days or seven days later. The infant was given the name Siddhartha (Pāli: Siddhattha), meaning “he who achieves his aim”. During the birth celebrations, the hermit [[Clairvoyance|seer]] [[Asita]] journeyed from his mountain abode and announced that the child would either become a great king ([[chakravartin]]) or a great [[Holiness|holy man]].{{Fact|date=December 2007}} This occurred after Siddhartha placed his feet in Asita's hair and Asita examined the birthmarks. Suddhodarna held a naming ceremony on the fifth day, and invited eight [[brahmin]] scholars to read the future. All gave a dual prediction that the baby would either become a great king or a great holy man.{{Fact|date=December 2007}} [[Kaundinya]] (Pali: Kondanna), the youngest, and later to be the first [[Arhat|arahant]], was the only one who unequivocally predicted that Siddhartha would become a [[Buddhahood|Buddha]].<ref>{{harvnb|Mahathera|1988|pp=11–12}}</ref>

The day of the Buddha's birth is widely celebrated in [[Theravada]] countries as [[Vesak]].<ref>{{cite book|author= Turpie, D|date=2001|title=Wesak And The Re-Creation of Buddhist Tradition|location=[[Montreal]], [[Quebec]]|publisher=[[McGill University]]|page=3|url=http://www.mrsp.mcgill.ca/reports/pdfs/Wesak.pdf}}</ref> Various sources hold that the Buddha's mother died at his birth, a few days or seven days later. The infant was given the name Siddhartha (Pāli: Siddhattha), meaning “he who achieves his aim”. During the birth celebrations, the hermit [[Clairvoyance|seer]] [[Asita]] journeyed from his mountain abode and announced that the child would either become a great king ([[chakravartin]]) or a great [[Holiness|holy man]].{{Fact|date=December 2007}} This occurred after Siddhartha placed his feet in Asita's hair and Asita examined the birthmarks. Suddhodarna held a naming ceremony on the fifth day, and invited eight [[brahmin]] scholars to read the future. All gave a dual prediction that the baby would either become a great king or a great holy man.{{Fact|date=December 2007}} [[Kaundinya]] (Pali: Kondanna), the youngest, and later to be the first [[Arhat|arahant]], was the only one who unequivocally predicted that Siddhartha would become a [[Buddhahood|Buddha]].<ref>{{harvnb|Mahathera|1988|pp=11–12}}</ref>