‘Joyous day’: PM Modi welcomes return of Piprahwa Buddha relics after 127 years

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has praised the return of the sacred Piprahwa relics of Lord Buddha to India after 127 years, calling it a “joyous day” for the nation. These holy relics were discovered in 1898 in Uttar Pradesh but were taken out of the country during British colonial rule. On July 30, 2025, they finally arrived back in India, thanks to efforts by the Indian government and the Pirojsha Godrej Foundation.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), PM Modi wrote, “A joyous day for our cultural heritage! It would make every Indian proud that the sacred Piprahwa relics of Bhagwan Buddha have come home after 127 long years.” He also said the return of these relics shows India’s deep connection to Lord Buddha and its ongoing commitment to preserving the country’s rich heritage.

The relics were first found during an excavation at the Piprahwa stupa in the Siddharthnagar district of Uttar Pradesh. They had been kept in private hands for many decades after British officer William Claxton Peppé, who led the excavation, kept a portion for his family. In May 2025, these relics appeared for sale at an international auction by Sotheby’s in Hong Kong, which led to a strong and swift response from the Indian government.

Auction halted, relics returned with support of private foundation

When news of the auction broke, India’s culture ministry acted quickly. It sent a legal notice to Sotheby’s stating that the relics were not just ancient artefacts but sacred remains of Lord Buddha. They said these were not to be treated as items for sale, but as the “sacred body of the Buddha” with religious and cultural importance for India and the global Buddhist community.

The ministry also sent a Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) warning to Sotheby’s. This notice said that continuing with the sale could be considered a financial crime under Indian law. As a result, Sotheby’s postponed the auction, which was originally scheduled for May 7.

Soon after, Sotheby’s contacted the Indian government to ask if it would allow the relics to be purchased by an Indian buyer. The government agreed—but only under strict conditions. These included:

• The buyer could not be an individual person.

• The relics could never be resold.

• They must always be made available to the Indian government when needed.

• They could not be taken outside India without permission.

During these discussions, Sotheby’s shared that the Pirojsha Godrej Foundation had shown interest in buying the relics. Pirojsha Adi Godrej had read about the issue and offered help, saying he had a deep interest in art and culture. After several meetings between the foundation, the government, and Sotheby’s, an agreement was reached and a formal Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed on July 24, 2025.

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Relics now on display at the National Museum in Delhi

The relics arrived in Mumbai on a private flight from Hong Kong and were flown to Delhi the next morning. They were taken straight to the National Museum, where they were welcomed in a special ceremony. Union culture minister Gajendra Shekhawat and senior ministry officials attended the event. Buddhist monks also performed religious rituals as part of the ceremony, with traditional chants filling the museum halls.

The collection includes 334 gemstones—such as amethysts, corals, pearls, and gold—many of which were used as pendants and beads. These were placed alongside what are believed to be cremated remains of Lord Buddha inside the Piprahwa stupa around 240 to 200 BCE.

Minister Shekhawat called this the “first ever public-private partnership for the retrieval of Indian antiquities.” According to the agreement, the full collection will remain on public display at the National Museum in New Delhi for three months. After that, most of the relics will stay there for the next five years. The remaining items will be kept at a new cultural center that the Godrej Foundation plans to open in Mumbai.

This successful effort to bring back sacred relics of Lord Buddha marks a major milestone in India’s work to protect its ancient heritage and spiritual legacy.