Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate a Grand International Exposition of Sacred Piprahwa Relics related to Lord Buddha in New Delhi today. The Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement that the Piprahwa relics, discovered in 1898, hold a central place in the archaeological study of early Buddhism.

 

The Exposition will be held at the Rai Pithora Cultural Complex in New Delhi. It will bring together, for the first time, the Piprahwa relics repatriated after more than a century from Piprahwa that are preserved in the collections of the National Museum of New Delhi and the Indian Museum of Kolkata.

 

The Piprahwa relics, discovered in 1898, are among the earliest and most historically significant relic deposits directly connected to Lord Buddha. Archaeological evidence associates the Piprahwa site with ancient Kapilavastu, widely identified as the place where Lord Buddha spent his early life prior to renunciation.

 

 

The exposition will highlight India’s deep and continuing civilizational link with the teachings of Bhagwan Buddha and reflect the Prime Minister’s commitment to preserving India’s rich spiritual and cultural heritage. The recent repatriation of these relics has been achieved through sustained government effort, institutional cooperation and innovative public-private partnership.