Sacred relics of the Buddha unveiled in Arunachal Pradesh

The sacred relics of Shakyamuni Buddha have been formally unveiled for public veneration at the historic Gaden Namgyal Lhatse, or Tawang Monastery, in Arunachal Pradesh, drawing devotees of all ages on the first day of the exposition. Chief Minister Pema Khandu inaugurated the public phase of the 20-day event, which began after a ceremonial reception on 31 October. The relics, bone fragments associated with the Buddha’s Mahaparinirvaṇa and preserved at the National Museum in New Delhi, arrived at the Air Force Station in Tawang and were enshrined at the monastery in the presence of Union Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat.

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On the sidelines, CM Khandu also opened an exhibition titled “Unearthing the Sacred Piprahwa: The Story of the Holy Buddha Relics and Their Discovery,” organised by the International Buddhist Confederation. The display traces the relics from the Buddha’s final passing through their 1898 excavation by British engineer William Claxton Peppé at Piprahwa in Uttar Pradesh, linked to the ancient Shakya capital of Kapilavastu, to their recent return to India after 127 years abroad, and India’s subsequent efforts to share them internationally.

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Ven. Shartse Khensur Jangchup Choden Rinpoche, Secretary General of the International Buddhist Confederation, described the relics as the “real presence of the Buddha,” valued by Buddhists worldwide far beyond their archaeological significance. The relics left the National Museum under the care of Rinpoche and Member of Parliament Tapir Gao, travelling by Indian Air Force aircraft and helicopter.

Public veneration continues at Tawang Monastery until 7 November, then moves to Thubchog Gatsel Ling Monastery in Bomdila (8–13 November) and the Golden Pagoda in Namsai (14–20 November), before returning to Delhi on 21 November. An international conference on Buddhism in the Himalayan region is also under way in Tawang. For local communities, the exposition is both a spiritual milestone, the first major return of the relics since 2013, when around 26,000 devotees participated, and a reminder of Arunachal Pradesh’s place in India’s broader Buddhist heritage.