The holy relics of Bhagwan Buddha returned to Bharat on June 3 following a profoundly successful month-long international pilgrimage across Vietnam that drew an unprecedented spiritual response. Originally scheduled to conclude on May 21, the exposition was extended by nearly two weeks after the Vietnamese government formally requested its continuation due to the overwhelming public reverence and spiritually electrified atmosphere across the nation.
#WATCH | The Holy Relics of Lord Buddha return to India, after their month-long exposition tour across Vietnam.
Originally scheduled to conclude on 21st May, the exposition was extended until 2nd June upon special request by the Government of Vietnam due to the spiritually… pic.twitter.com/wJFYTzMxb8
— ANI (@ANI) June 2, 2025
Ceremoniously received at New Delhi’s Palam Air Force Station, the sacred relics were escorted by a distinguished Bharatiya delegation led by Odisha Governor Prof. Hari Babu Kambhampati, alongside senior monks and officials from the International Buddhist Confederation (IBC) and the National Museum. Among the dignitaries welcoming the relics were Shartse Khensur Jangchup Choeden Rinpoche, Secretary General of the IBC, and representatives from Bharat’s cultural and diplomatic corps.
“These relics are not mere artifacts. They are sacred embodiments of the Buddha’s presence. The unprecedented outpouring of devotion from Vietnamese citizens—over 17.8 million attendees—underscores the living spiritual bond between Bharat and Vietnam, a legacy rooted in centuries of Dharma transmission,” a senior IBC official told media.
The relics will be briefly displayed for public viewing at the National Museum in Delhi, allowing devotees, dignitaries, and members of the diplomatic corps to offer prayers and pay homage. A solemn prayer meeting involving senior Buddhist monks, IBC officials, and foreign delegates will follow.
On June 4, the relics will embark on a Presidential cavalcade to Sarnath via Varanasi, where they will be enshrined at the Mulagandha Kuti Vihar, marking the grand conclusion of one of the most significant international religious expositions in recent times.
The spiritual tour, which began on May 2, took the relics across a sacred circuit of nine major Vietnamese cities and provinces, including:
- Thanh Tam Pagoda, Ho Chi Minh City
- Ba Den Mountain, Tay Ninh
- Quan Su Pagoda, Hanoi
- Tam Chuc Pagoda, Ha Nam
- Bai Dinh Pagoda, Ninh Binh
- Phuc Son Pagoda, Bac Giang
- Truc Lam Yen Tu Monastery, Quang Ninh
- Chuong Pagoda, Hung Yen
- Quan Am Ngu Hanh Son Pagoda, Da Nang
The enshrinement ceremonies featured processions, collective chanting, meditative sessions, and Dhamma talks, engaging millions of laypeople, children, scholars, and monks in spiritual activities aimed at fostering mindfulness, peace, and universal compassion.
The original visit was part of the UN Day of Vesak commemorations, but the spiritual fervor in Vietnam led the Committee for Ethnic and Religious Affairs to recommend the extension—one that was honoured by Bharat in a powerful gesture of civilizational camaraderie.
Calling the exposition “an expression of close and friendly ties over centuries”, External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar states the significance of such spiritual diplomacy in strengthening people-to-people ties and cultural unity between Bharat and Vietnam.
The holy relics—considered among the most sacred remnants of Bhagwan Buddha’s physical remains—are venerated not just by Buddhists but also by spiritual seekers across the world. Their exposition in Vietnam marks a new chapter in Bharat’s cultural outreach under the tenets of soft power diplomacy and shared Dharma heritage.
