Leading scholars believe that modern-day Piprahwa was the site of the ancient city of Kapilvastu. Incidentally, Kapilvastu was capital of the Shakya kingdom, where Siddarth Gautam had spent 29 years of his life. It was here that he was born to Queen Mayadevi and King Shuddhodan. It was here that he grew up as a prince enjoying all the luxuries available in that era. Yet, unparalleled compassion and curiosity about all things around him made Siddarth stand apart from everyone else.
There is now agreement that Piprahwa is same as ancient Kapilavastu, Buddha’s early home, before he became an ascetic and left home in search of enlightenment. As such, the inauguration of the exhibition of Piprahwa relics by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the first week of 2026 is very significant event for the Buddhists worldwide. In the years to come, these exhibits may become a pilgrimage centre for Buddhists and may see good footfall.
Exhibition of the relics
“The Light & The Lotus: Relics of the Awakened One”, which PM Modi inaugurated at Rai Pithora Cultural Complex in New Delhi, showcases invaluable relics associated with Buddha which were discovered around 125 years ago in 1898 by a British civil engineer and landowner William Claxton Peppe. The reliquaries he took along with him to Britain contained bone fragments and jewels, widely believed to belonging to Buddha.
Besides bone relics, crystal caskets and gold ornaments, there was a Brahmi inscription on one of the reliquaries which identified them as belonging to Buddha. This was well and truly a monumental discovery for Buddhism at that time but some Buddhist rulers, who tried to acquire them, for money and by persuasion, from the British, failed in their efforts.
The British colonial government claimed ownership of the relics under the Indian Treasure Trove Act of 1878. The government then gifted a portion of these relics to King Rama V (Chulalongkorn) of Siam who was a reverred Buddhist monarch. King Rama V, who took his role as a protector of Buddhism, decided to distribute these relics to the faithful. Accordingly, he divided these relics, sending them to important Buddhist centres in Myanmar and Sri Lanka, after keeping some of them in Thailand itself.
The descendants of Peppe, who had discovered these priceless relics and literally unearthed them from Piprahwa in present Siddarthnagar district of Uttar Pradesh, kept significant parts of these relics with them. For over a century, these legal heirs of Peppe maintained these relics as a private collection. Last year, one member of Peppe family offered these sacred relics for auction to Southeby’s Hong Kong.
ASI excavations
In the 1970s (from 1971 to 1977), the Archeological Survey of India (ASI), which was led by noted archeologist K. M. Srivastava, conducted deeper excavations into the Piprahwa Stupa. These excavations led to finding of additional relic caskets and sealings which helped prove the site to be ancient Kapilvastu. These relics were truly gems and have been often referred to as Piprahwa Gems, reverentially and also because of their immense value.
What may seem like a routine exhibition related to display of some Buddhist relics has taken immense effort from the Government of India. It was only due to involvement and intervention of the Culture Ministry headed by Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat that these relics finally reached India from Hong Kong. One may ask as to how come these relics were there in Hong Kong?
Well, to cut a long story short, these relics were in possession of the descendants of Peppe, the British engineer who had discovered them by digging Piprahwa Stupa in 1898. His great grandson had put them for auction through Southeby’s of Hong Kong in early 2025.
India’s intervention
When this information reached the Union Culture Ministry, it issued a legal notice to the auction firm asking for immediate cessation of the planned auction. This happened on May 7 last year and thereafter the claim about India being the rightful owner of these relics were made so that these could be repatriated from Hong Kong.
In processing their repatriation, Pirozsha Godrej played a vital role as a philanthropist by privately acquiring the collection to facilitate its return to the nation. PM Modi personally monitored the whole process and kept a watch to remove bottlenecks that arose during the whole process. These repatriated items have now been displayed along side several other Buddhist artefacts brought to Delhi from other Indian museums. Key relics, especially jewels, were repatriated after a significant effort, with parts acquired from auction and private collections.
In July last year, BBC reported that The Piparhwa Gems, described by archaeologists as one of the most astonishing finds of the modern era, were returned to India after two months of intense negotiaions. The Mumbai-based conglomerate Godrej Industries Group acquired the jewels from Southeby’s before these were repatriated to India.
“We are deeply honoured to contribute to this historic moment. The Piparhwa gems are not just artefacts – they are timeless symbols of peace, compassion and the shared heritage of humanity”, Pirojsha Godrej, Executive Vice President of the Godrej Group, had said after acqisition of these wonderful jewels.
Brahmi Inscription
After the discovery of these relics in 1898, on one of the vases recovered in Piprahwa was found a note in the Brahmi script. This note was translated by Georg Buhler, a leading European epigraphist of the time, to mean: “This relic-shrine of divine Buddha (is the donation) of the Sakya-Sukitri brothers, associated with their sisters, sons and wives”.
This translation implied that the bone fragments were part of the remains of Gautama Buddha, who founded Buddhism. In the 2013 documentary, Bones of the Buddha, epigraphist Harry Falk of Berlin University confirmed the same interpretation that these were the remains of the Buddha.
The inauguration of the exhibits by PM Modi marks an unparalleled historic moment in India’s efforts to reclaim and honour its spiritual heritage. This exposition the first comprehensive display of Piprahwa relics after over 125 years. This enables Indian citizens as also visitors from all over the world to reconnect with a sacred civilisational inheritance.
PM Modi’s address
Addressing leading Buddhist monks, scholars and guests gathered on the occasion, PM Modi laid stressed on a renewed national resolve to preserve and present spiritual legacy. He called the repatriation and display of the relics, India’s heritage, as a wonderful moment for the country. It was a clear civilisational assertion to be able to get the planned auction by Southeby’s stopped and then successfully get them back to india.
One thing that was conveyed to the world through this event was that India will no longer allow its sacred heritage to remain scattered. The legacy of the colonial era displacement and transferring these relics in a wanton manner is not to be condoned was the firm message. The world now knows in no uncertain terms that India is not willing to let its sacred history to be held hostage by elite western institutions, be they the leading museums or private collectors.
These are hallmarks of a significant shift in heritage governance, where India is assertive and willing to diligently and with rigour pursue its goals via scholarship and whatever else it takes. The Piprahwa project is a shining example of a seamless fusion of India’s diplomacy, political heft, soft power. It demonstrates India’s commitment to showcasing with reverence Buddhist heritage as a unique bridge that binds all, through a peace and shared values.
Historical Stupa
These Piprahwa relics had first came to light in 1898 in present day Siddarthnagar of Uttar Pradesh. The relics include bone fragments believed to be of Lord Buddha. It is worth mentioning here that after the Buddha’s death (Mahaparinirvana), his cremated relics were divided among eight kingdoms and a Brahmin named Drona coordinated the distribution of these relics.
The recipient of these relics then built grand Stupas to enshrine and preserve their share of the relics in a befitting manner. These Stupas then became the most important pilgrimage sites and the earliest centres of worship for the Buddhist community. Besides bone fragments, there are crystal and steatite caskets, gemstones, gold ornaments and a sandstone coffer.
For Buddhists, these relics are living objects of veneration, symbolising compassion, peace and ethical foundations. These principles are shaped the Asian philosophy, governance traditions and collective social values. A serious problem in the present day era that confronted such a wonderful sacred heritage is the commodification, as is clear from attempt to auction these priceless, eternal gems. Considering these relics as meant for collections by the highest bidders, stripping them of their spiritual meaning is a crime which no civilised human being can condone.
PM Modi described the return as a joyous milestone for cultural and sacred heritage of the country. He said this was a governance philosophy in which modern development integrates with preservation of the ancient heritage. The Piprahwa initiative demonstrates India’s renewed self-respect in the spiritual arena. It helps to project Buddhist heritage as living ethical resource. It also offers a wonderful moral compass and guidance amid an unsettled global order where conflicts rage.
