Buddha's Piprahwa relics reach Tawang for three-week exposition

Sacred relics of the Buddha from the ancient Piprahwa Stupa reached Tawang on Saturday, opening a three-week public exposition in Arunachal Pradesh that will also take them to Bomdila and Namsai.

The relics were brought from the National Museum in New Delhi. They will be on display for devotees from 31 October to 21 November, according to Akashvani News.

'An immense honour'

Chief Minister Pema Khandu welcomed the relics, calling their arrival a historic occasion and an immense honour for the state. In a post on X, he said he hoped it would deepen people's commitment to the Buddha's teachings on compassion, peace, wisdom and universal brotherhood.

Before reaching Tawang, the relics were received at Guwahati airport by Arunachal East MP Tapir Gao and state Women and Child Development Minister Dasanglu Pul at a ceremony attended by Buddhist monks and officials, Hub News reported. Pul described the exposition as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for devotees.

PM's message

Prime Minister Narendra Modi sent a message for the occasion, which was shared by the Union Ministry of Culture. He said the exposition at Tawang, Bomdila and Namsai was an event of immense spiritual and cultural significance that would give devotees a special opportunity to pay their respects.

The Prime Minister said the government had taken several steps over the past decade to preserve India's Buddhist heritage, describing the return of the Piprahwa relics after more than a century as a particularly significant moment. He also said sites such as Bodh Gaya, Sarnath and Kushinagar were being developed with better infrastructure and connectivity.

He expressed hope that the exhibitions and an International Conference on Buddhism planned as part of the programme would encourage wider interest in the Buddha's teachings.

Where the relics come from

The Piprahwa Stupa lies in present-day Siddharthnagar district of Uttar Pradesh. The site is closely linked with ancient Kapilavastu, the homeland of the Shakya clan to which the Buddha belonged. The relics travelling to Arunachal are part of the collection held by the National Museum. Separately, a set of Piprahwa gems excavated in 1898 and later offered for auction abroad was brought back to India in July 2025, the Ministry of Culture said at the time.

Arunachal Pradesh has a large Buddhist population, especially in Tawang and West Kameng districts and among communities in Namsai. Tawang is home to one of the largest Buddhist monasteries in India.

Details of viewing hours and arrangements at each venue are expected from the state government and district administrations.