India tries to stop Hong Kong from auctioning Piprahwa gem found in Buddha's tomb

Indian officials have declared the auction of the Piprahwa gems illegal and are demanding the return of the sacred relics, which date back to the third century BC.

Piprahwa Gemstones - Photo: SOTHEBY'S

The Indian Ministry of Culture said the auction of Piprahwa gemstones in Hong Kong on May 7 is a violation of Indian and international laws, as well as United Nations conventions on the preservation of cultural heritage.

At the same time, the ministry also requested Hong Kong to return these gems to India for “safekeeping and religious purposes”. The Indian Ministry of Culture stressed that the auction of “inviolable religious and cultural heritage of India as well as the global Buddhist community” must be stopped immediately.

The Piprahwa collection of gemstones includes amethyst, coral, garnet, pearl, rock crystal, shell and gold. Most are crafted into pendants, beads and other ornaments, while some remain in their original form.

The gems were originally buried in a domed stupa in Piprahwa village, Uttar Pradesh, India, around 240 to 220 BC and mixed with the ashes of the Buddha, who is believed to have died around 480 BC.

Ancient gems dating back to the third century BC are expected to sell for around HK$100 million (nearly US$13 million).

India's Ministry of Culture has announced that it will launch a public campaign targeting Sotheby's for its role in “supporting the injustices of the former colonial regime” and “engaging in the unethical sale of religious relics.”

According to the Guardian , the Indian government has sent legal documents to the art auction company Sotheby's Hong Kong and Mr. Chris Peppé, one of the three heirs of British engineer William Claxton Peppé - who excavated these gems at his estate in northern India in 1898, when India was still a British colony.

In legal documents, the Indian government wrote that this was an “immoral” auction of valuable antiques, considered sacred relics left by Buddha.

The Indian side also requested that Sotheby's Company and Mr. Chris Peppé publicly apologize to the Indian Government and Buddhists around the world , and at the same time fully disclose all papers and documents on the origin of all relics in his possession.

Previously, information about this auction had faced fierce opposition from scholars and leaders of Buddhist monasteries.

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Source: https://tuoitre.vn/an-do-co-ngan-hong-kong-dau-gia-da-quy-piprahwa-tim-thay-trong-mo-duc-phat-2025050614092509.htm