The exposition of the Holy Buddha Relics from Devnimori will take place in Sri Lanka from 4 to 10 February 2026, marking a significant spiritual, cultural, and diplomatic engagement between Sri Lanka and India. The programme is being facilitated primarily by the Ministry of Culture of the Government of India, reflecting the enduring Buddhist civilisational ties shared by the two countries.
The sacred relics, currently enshrined at The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda in Vadodara, will be brought to Colombo for public exposition before being returned to India on 11 February. They will be transported on a special Indian Air Force aircraft with full state honours. A high-level Indian delegation will accompany the relics, led by Acharya Devvrat, Governor of Gujarat, and Harsh Sanghavi, along with senior Buddhist monks and officials.
Upon arrival at Bandaranaike International Airport, the relics will be received through a ceremonially choreographed welcome combining Theravāda Buddhist rituals with state protocol. Senior Sri Lankan leaders and members of the Sangha are expected to take part in the reception, which will feature traditional drumming and dance along a sanctified red-and-white carpeted pathway.
Following a brief chanting ceremony, the relics will be transported in a VVIP motorcade to Gangaramaya Temple, where they will be placed in a secure chamber prior to formal enshrinement later in the day. President Anura Kumara Dissanayake is expected to receive the relics in the presence of senior members of the Maha Sangha. The official enshrinement ceremony will coincide with the signing of a bilateral Memorandum of Understanding on Buddhist cooperation between Sri Lanka and India. Public veneration will commence from 5 February, allowing devotees from across the island and overseas to participate.
Two major exhibitions curated by the International Buddhist Confederation will be inaugurated alongside the enshrinement and will remain open throughout the exposition period. The first exhibition, titled “Unearthing the Sacred Piprahwa: The Story of the Holy Buddha Relics and its Related Activities with Sri Lanka,” traces the archaeological and historical journey of the relics from ancient Kapilavastu to their present role in Buddhist diplomacy, highlighting Emperor Ashoka’s patronage and the evolution of Indo–Sri Lankan Buddhist relations.
The second exhibition, “Sacred Relic and Cultural Engagement of Contemporary India,” presents the relics as living embodiments of the Buddha Dhamma and portrays India as Dhamma Bhūmi. It documents India’s recent international relic expositions in countries including Mongolia, Thailand, Vietnam, Russia, and Bhutan, illustrating how sacred heritage continues to serve as a bridge of faith, harmony, and cultural continuity.
As part of the broader programme, the “Friends of IBC Reunion” will be held in Colombo on 6 February. The gathering will bring together monks, scholars, diplomats, and cultural practitioners for dialogue on shared Buddhist heritage and contemporary engagement. The event will feature religious invocations, cultural performances, keynote addresses by senior dignitaries, and a moderated discussion on Indo–Sri Lankan Pāli scholarship, reaffirming Sri Lanka’s historic contribution to global Buddhism and India’s role as custodian of the Buddha’s civilisational legacy.
