The Piprahwa jewels, which returned to India in July 2025, are now showcased at the Grand International Exposition of Sacred Piprahwa Relics in New Delhi. The one-of-a-kind exhibition, which allows you to take a stroll down the past, is titled: The Light & The Lotus: Relics of the Awakened One.
Located at the Rai Pithora Cultural Complex, the exposition was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday, January 3, 2025. As the exhibition is now open to the world, you should know what it encompasses.
Inside The Grand Exhibition Of The Sacred Piprahwa Relics Of Buddha
According to the official Instagram handle of DD News, the exhibition of the sacred Piprahwa Relics of Buddha in New Delhi highlights India's enduring civilisational link with Buddhism. It showcases the country's commitment to preserving the sacred heritage revered by the Buddhist community across the world.
This exhibition marks a historic moment as the relics, which made their way to India after 127 years, reunited with the soil they originated in 1898. According to reports, the relics include bone fragments believed to belong to Lord Buddha himself. One can witness gemstones, ornaments, crystal caskets, and a sandstone coffer that were discovered during a 1898 excavation, led by William Claxton Peppe, of an ancient Buddhist stupa in Uttar Pradesh's Piprahwa, close to the India-Nepal border.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi Inaugurated The Grand Exhibition Of The Sacred Piprahwa Relics Of Buddha
If you are not digitally detoxing today, you know that Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Grand International Exposition of the Sacred Piprahwa Relics of Buddha. Sharing the news on Instagram on Friday, he wrote, "A delight for those passionate about culture, history and the ideals of Bhagwan Buddha!"
He added, "This will showcase: The Piprahwa relics repatriated after more than a century. Authentic relics and archaeological materials from Piprahwa that are preserved in the collections of the National Museum, New Delhi and the Indian Museum, Kolkata."
How Did The Sacred Piprahwa Relics Of Buddha Come To India
Peppe's grandson, Chris Peppe, put the sacred Piprahwa Relics of Buddha up for auction via Sotheby's Hong Kong. Valued at $100 million (Rs 900 crore), they were bought by industrialist Pirojsha Godrej of Godrej Industries Group.
Sotheby's Hong Kong website in May 2025 stated, "Sotheby's is honoured to present the Piprahwa gems, appearing for the first time in Hong Kong. The 1898 discovery of these gems by William Claxton Peppe at Piprahwa in northern India - where they were found buried together in reliquaries with the corporeal relics of the Historical Buddha - ranks among the most extraordinary archaeological discoveries of all time."
However, they postponed the May auction after the Indian Ministry of Culture issued a notice to Sotheby's Hong Kong asking them to withdraw the relics from the auction and cooperate with the authorities to have them safely returned to their place of origin. A similar notice was also issued to Chris Peppe, asking him to withdraw relics from the auction.
After going back and forth with the UK Secretary of State for Culture Lisa Nandy, the Indian government allowed the industrialist Pirojsha Godrej to bid for the relics and bring them back home.
Also Read | The Story Of Piprahwa Gems, The Buddha Link, And How India Got Them Back