Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday (3) inaugurated a landmark international exposition showcasing the sacred jewel relics of the Buddha, marking their return to India after 127 years.
The exhibition, titled The Light and the Lotus: Relics of the Awakened One, was opened at the historic Rai Pithora complex, also known as the First City of Delhi. The three-month-long exposition brings together, for the first time in over a century, the most comprehensive public display of the Piprahwa relics.
Curated around the theme of the Buddha’s enlightenment and legacy, the exhibition centres on the Piprahwa Stupa relics from Uttar Pradesh, a site believed to be associated with ancient Kapilavastu, the homeland of Gautama Buddha. Historical accounts suggest the stupa was built by members of the Buddha’s Sakya clan to enshrine his relics.
Addressing the inauguration, Modi said the return of the relics marked a significant civilisational moment for India and Buddhists worldwide. He noted that, after more than a century, the country’s treasured heritage had “come back home,” allowing devotees and visitors to pay reverence to the relics of the Awakened One. He reiterated India’s role as a guardian of global Buddhist heritage.
The exhibition features more than 80 rare objects dating from the 6th century BCE to the modern era, including sculptures, manuscripts, thangkas, ritual artefacts, reliquaries, and jewelled treasures. At the heart of the display is the original stone coffer in which the sacred relics were discovered.
The Piprahwa relics were unearthed in 1898 by British civil engineer William Claxton Peppé and are regarded as among the earliest archaeological remains directly linked to Shakyamuni Buddha. Enshrined around the 3rd century BCE, the relics hold deep spiritual significance for Buddhists and are considered one of the most important discoveries in India’s archaeological history.
The inauguration was attended by senior political leaders, diplomats, ambassadors, Buddhist monks, scholars, heritage experts, members of the art community, students, and Buddhist devotees from India and overseas.
While some of the relics excavated at Kapilavastu were preserved at the Indian Museum in Kolkata, a substantial portion remained in the private collection of the Peppé family in the United Kingdom and was scheduled to be auctioned in Hong Kong in May 2025. The auction was halted following intervention by the Government of India, and the artefacts were secured by the Ministry of Culture.
Reflecting on the episode, Modi said colonial exploitation had extended beyond political and economic control to cultural heritage, noting that what others viewed as auctionable antiquities were sacred and inseparable elements of India’s civilisation. He said the return of the relics underscored India’s resolve to protect its spiritual legacy.
In recent years, India has repatriated 642 antiquities from abroad, with the return of the Piprahwa relics described as a milestone in heritage preservation. Modi added that shared Buddhist heritage connects nations at a deeper level beyond politics and diplomacy, through faith, values, and spirituality, and highlighted India’s ongoing efforts to assist other countries in conserving historic Buddhist sites.
