Buddha’s Piprahwa relics return home after 125 years

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday inaugurated the grand international exposition of sacred Piprahwa relics related to Buddha, titled ‘The Light & the Lotus: Relics of the Awakened One’, at the Rai Pithora Cultural Complex in the Capital, marking the public return of the sacred relics to India after more than 125 years.

Addressing the gathering, the PM described the moment as the reclaiming of India’s heritage and legacy, saying the relics, taken away during the colonial period, had finally returned to the land of Buddha’s karma, contemplation and Mahaparinirvana. From today, he said, people across the country would be able to witness the sacred relics and receive the blessings of Lord Buddha. Beginning 2026 with such an auspicious event, he added, was deeply inspiring and carried the hope of peace, prosperity and harmony for the world.

The exhibition has been set up at the historic Qila Rai Pithora complex, a site associated with Delhi’s rich past. The PM said a new spiritual chapter was being added to this historic space, underlining that the relics are not museum artefacts for India but a living and inseparable part of its civilisational and spiritual heritage. He recalled that attempts had once been made to auction the relics internationally, a move India firmly opposed. He expressed gratitude to the Godrej Group for its cooperation in the successful repatriation of the relics.

Highlighting the global resonance of Lord Buddha’s teachings, the PM noted the overwhelming public response when the relics were displayed abroad in recent months. From Thailand and Vietnam to Mongolia and Russia’s Kalmykia region, millions of devotees paid homage, cutting across national boundaries and political identities. “The knowledge of Lord Buddha and the path shown by him belong to all humanity,” he said.

The PM also spoke about India’s efforts to preserve and promote Buddhist heritage, both domestically and internationally. He cited restoration work undertaken by India at Buddhist sites in Nepal and Myanmar, and the development of modern facilities at major pilgrimage centres such as Bodh Gaya, Sarnath, Kushinagar and Sanchi. He said the creation of a Buddhist Circuit aims to offer pilgrims from around the world a seamless spiritual experience.

The exposition brings together the repatriated Piprahwa relics with artefacts from the National Museum, New Delhi, and the Indian Museum, Kolkata. Discovered in 1898 and linked to ancient Kapilavastu, the relics are among the earliest archaeological remains directly associated with Buddha.