NEW DELHI: Heritage enthusiasts from across the globe will soon have a unique opportunity to witness rare relics of Lord Buddha including the sacred Piprahwa remains, which have returned to India after more than a century.
The ministry of culture has planned a special exposition where these relics will be displayed alongside others currently preserved at the National Museum in New Delhi.
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 abroad. The ministry intervened swiftly to halt the bidding, and following diplomatic efforts, the holy remains were successfully brought back to India.
The exhibition will be held in the 11th century fort complex Qila Rai Pithora, constructed in the reign of Rajput Tomar ruler Anangpal Tomar in Mehrauli.
“Repatriation of Piprahwa relics has been a major success of the ministry of culture. We are preparing an exposition of them at Qila Rai Pithora. Dates and the subsequent events will be discussed as they are finalized,” said secretary (culture) Vivek Aggarwal.
He further added that the initiative 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,” Aggarwal 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 and taken out of the country. Since then it has been part of a private collection. However, they were placed in an auction scheduled in Hong 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.
The government got them repatriated in July.
"It will be a very interesting exposition which will have an international audience as we will also be inviting all the ambassadors and high commissioners of countries having a connection to the philosophy of Lord Buddha. The exhibition will also be an open event for all citizens," the secretary added.
