The Story Of Piprahwa Gems, The Buddha Link, And How India Got Them Back

The Piprahwa jewels, believed to have a connection with Buddha and valued at approximately USD 100 million, returned to India on July 30, 2025 (Wednesday), after 127 long years. This development came after industrialist Pirojsha Godrej of Godrej Industries Group stepped ahead to buy the collection.

History Of The Piprahwa Jewels

The Piprahwa jewels were recently brought up for an auction at Sotheby's in Hong Kong. They have been reclaimed and brought back to India after they were taken away by British archaeologist William Claxton Peppe who discovered them during an excavation conducted during the colonial rule in 1898.

William Claxton Peppe carried out the excavation at an ancient Buddhist stupa in Uttar Pradesh's Piprahwa, close to the India-Nepal border. A Buddhist stupa holds immense religious and cultural importance for the Buddhist community.

Apart from the ornaments and gemstones that were put out for auction, the Piprahwa relics also consist of bone fragments that are believed to be belonging to Buddha, in addition to a soapstone and crystal caskets, and a sandstone coffer.

Comments By The Indian Government

Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised the coming home of the Piprahwa jewels in a post on X. "It would make every Indian proud that the sacred Piprahwa relics of Bhagwan Buddha have come home after 127 long years. These sacred relics highlight India's close association with Bhagwan Buddha and his noble teachings. It also illustrates our commitment to preserving and protecting different aspects of our glorious culture," the prime minister said.

Union Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat termed this development "an exemplary case of public-private partnership." He added, "A large portion of the acquired collection will be on loan to the National Museum for five years, and Godrej Industries has agreed to display the entire gem collection upon its arrival in India for a period of three months."

According to Indian Express, "There are other portions of the Piprahwa relics that have been showcased in the vaults of the Indian Museum in Kolkata since 1898. These will also be displayed at an exhibition at National Museum in Delhi along with the other reclaimed gems." The gems became a part of the private collection of William Claxton Peppe. His grandson, Chris Peppe put them up for an auction through Sotheby's Hong Kong.

The auction house postponed the May 7, 2025 auction after the Ministry of Culture issued a legal notice to Sotheby's Hong Kong. The ministry called Sotheby's Hong Kong to withdraw the relics from the auction and cooperate with the Indian government authorities to return these sacred artefacts to their place of origin. Many Buddhist organisations also issued calls for adequate steps to be taken to stop the auction and get the relics back to India.

As per the listing on Sotheby's Hong Kong website in May 2025, "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."

According to a note by Chris Peppe on his website, "The Piprahwa gem relics were passed down from my great uncle to his son, then in 2013 they came to myself and two cousins. It was at this point that I began in-depth research into the discovery of the gems by William Claxton Peppe, my great-grandfather."

The Ministry of Culture had also served a legal notice to Chris Peppe, asking him to withdraw the relics from the auction and return them to India. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) requested the Consulate General of Hong Kong to take up the matter with the authorities demanding the auction to be immediately stopped.

On May 2, 2025, Union Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat raised the issue with the UK Secretary of State for Culture Lisa Nandy. The minister also emphasised on the cultural and religious importance of the relics and urged for an immediate action to stop the auction. Previously, the UK expressed its inability to help in the matter as the relics belonged to a private individual.

Using a rather unconventional route by allowing industrialist Pirojsha Godrej to step in and get back the sacred Piprahwa relics from Hong Kong, the Indian government has reaffirmed the country's bid to establish itself as the birthplace of Buddhism. 

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