NEW DELHI: The ministry of culture is expected to hold an exposition of rare relics of Lord Buddha including the sacred Piprahwa remains in other parts of the country after their maiden exhibition in Delhi.
For the first time, the historical treasure related to Buddha will be made available for public viewing in the 11th century fort complex; Qila Rai Pithora, constructed in the reign of Rajput Tomar ruler Anangpal Tomar in Mehrauli.
The officials, privy to the matter, said that depending on the response, similar exhibitions will be planned in other states. The exhibition in Delhi is likely to be inaugurated soon as preparations are in full swing.
“Dates are being finalised. The exhibition will remain for six months and after which it will be taken to other places given the response from heritage enthusiasts and visitors,” said officials.
The exhibition is being organised by the National Museum and the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) is providing logistic support. The venue is a complex which was built by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), which has been handed over to ASI.
The Piprahwa relics comprising bone fragments and various artefacts such as caskets, gemstones, and gold ornaments discovered in 1898 at Piprahwa village in Uttar Pradesh. A part of the Piprahwa collection, taken out of the country about a century ago, had recently surfaced at an auction in Singapore. The ministry intervened swiftly to halt the bidding, and following diplomatic efforts, the holy remains were successfully brought back to India.
This special exposition will have Piprahwa remains on display alongside others currently preserved at the National Museum in New Delhi.
The secretary of culture ministry Vivek Aggrawal earlier told this newspaper that the idea behind the exhibition is to bring all the Piprahwa relics to one place.
“Our own collection and the assortment repatriated recently will be shown together in this exposition. And along with that, it will be an exposition on the various objects and artefacts, which are connected to Lord Buddha, brought from all parts of the country,” he said.
The Piprahwa relics, discovered by British civil engineer William Claxton Peppé are believed to be associated with the mortal remains of Lord Buddha. The majority of these relics were transferred to the Indian Museum in Kolkata in 1899. However, a portion of the relics was retained by the Peppé family, which was taken out of the country. Since then it has been part of the private collection.
However, they were placed in an auction scheduled in Honk Kong in May. Following the uproar, the ministry took strong diplomatic and legal measures to stop the sale. It also issued a legal notice to Sotheby’s--a leading multinational auction house--demanding the immediate withdrawal of the auction.
