31,000 visit Buddha relics in Tawang; exposition moves to Bomdila

About 31,000 devotees and visitors saw the sacred relics of Shakyamuni Buddha during their seven-day stay at Tawang Monastery, the Ministry of Culture said on Sunday, as the exposition moved on to Bomdila.

The Tawang leg ended on Saturday, November 7. The ministry said people came from every block of Tawang district and nearby areas to Gaden Namgyal Lhatse, as Tawang Monastery is formally known. The exposition is organised by the Ministry of Culture with the Arunachal Pradesh government and the International Buddhist Confederation (IBC).

Next stops: Bomdila and Namsai

The Indian Air Force was to fly the relics to Bomdila in West Kameng district on Sunday, November 8. After a short halt at the Upper Gompa, they are to be enshrined at TGL Monastery, also called the Lower Gompa, where they will be open for public darshan from November 8 to 13.

They will then go to the Golden Pagoda at Namsai, open to the public from November 14 to 20, before returning to the National Museum in New Delhi on November 21.

What happened in Tawang

The relics reached Tawang from the National Museum on October 31. Chief Minister Pema Khandu received them in the presence of Union Culture and Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat.

Khandu also opened two exhibitions at the monastery. One, put together by the IBC, tells the story of how the Piprahwa relics were found in 1898. The other, curated by the National Museum, looks at Buddhist art, classical traditions and anthropology. On November 2, the IBC held an international conference at the Kalawangpo Convention Centre in Tawang on how Buddhism spread in the Himalayan region, with scholars and religious leaders from India and other countries.

The relics come from Piprahwa in present-day Uttar Pradesh, which many scholars link with ancient Kapilavastu. Arunachal Pradesh has a large Buddhist population, including Monpa, Sherdukpen and Tai Khamti communities.

The ministry said the exposition reflects the government's commitment to preserving India's Buddhist heritage and strengthening cultural ties with Buddhist communities around the world. Devotees planning to visit Bomdila or Namsai are advised to check darshan timings locally.