Gautama Buddha or Siddhartha Gautam was the founder of Buddhism. This spiritual leader is regarded in high regard among followers of Buddhism as he left all worldly pleasures at a young age to become an ascetic. Though there is uncertainty over the birth date of this noble soul but it is stated that Gautama Buddha lived between 563 BC and 483 BC.

Gautam Buddha is also known as Sakyamuni and his teachings were passed orally and his collection teachings were mentioned in Triptika few centuries after his death. The main source of information regarding Lord Buddha can be had from various Buddhist texts. It is said that Gautam Buddha was born in Lumbini forest in Nepal under Sal tree and he was named Siddhartha on his birth.

The birth date of Gautama Buddha is celebrated as Vesak in Theravada countries. The name Siddhartha means one who achieves his aim and it was seer Asita who stated that Gautama Siddhartha would either become a great king or a holy man.

It is stated that Gautama Siddhartha led a pretty luxurious life as a prince and at the age of sixteen was married off to Yasodhara who gave birth to a son named Rahula and after staying in Kapilavastu for 29 years Lord Buddha left all worldly pleasures to live the life of the ascetic. After witnessing illness, old age, death and ascetic while moving on his chariot in his kingdom he decided to leave all the worldly pleasures and escaped with the help of his charioteer Channa on his horse Kanthaka and it is said that the hooves of the horse were muffled by the gods to prevent the guards about the leaving of Gautam Buddha and this particular event is termed as The Great Departure.

After leaving his kingdom Gautam Buddha lived the life of austere for six years and realizing that it was doing no good sat under the Bodhi Tree in Bodh Gaya where he achieved Enlightenment and came to be known as the Buddha or Awakened One. He is also referred to as the Sakyamuni Buddha. For the rest of forty five years Gautama Buddha traveled across Gangetic Plains and taught his doctrine to numerous people. This is how Buddhism spread across the world and Gautama Buddha came to be regarded a revered saint.