Collection of gems related to Buddha's relics returned to India

A collection of hundreds of pieces of jewelry related to Buddha's relics has been returned to India after 127 years.

The auction of a collection of gems related to Buddha relics was scheduled for earlier this year, raising the threat of the repatriation of these precious antiquities.

Indian Minister of State for Culture and Tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat prays after receiving the sacred Piprahwa gems

PHOTO: REUTERS

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed the return of the collection known as the Piprahwa Gems of Buddha . "A happy day for our cultural heritage! It will make every Indian proud," Modi wrote in a post on X on July 30.

The collection of over 300 gemstones including amethyst, topaz and pearls dates back to the Maurya Empire, Ashokan period, around 240-200 BC.

Collection of Buddha relics found by an Englishman

The collection, first excavated by a Briton in northern India, was originally scheduled to be auctioned by Sotheby's Hong Kong (China) in May 2025, but the auction was postponed after the Indian government threatened legal action and demanded the return of the jewelry, according to Reuters .

Sotheby's then identified the Indian conglomerate Godrej Industries Group as the buyer and secured a sale that saw the permanent return of these gems to India, as well as their public display.

"Sotheby's is delighted to facilitate the return of the Piprahwa Gems to India," the auction house said late on July 30.

The Piprahwa Gemstones, dating from around 240-200 BC

PHOTO: SOTHEBY'S

The Ministry of Culture and Tourism of India said this is an exemplary public-private partnership and the initiative is in line with Prime Minister Modi's broader mission to revive and celebrate India's cultural heritage across the world.

The gems were excavated in 1898 from an ancient stupa at Piprahwa, northern India, by estate manager William Claxton Peppe, along with bone fragments believed to be from the Buddha. Peppe was then allowed to keep more than 300 of the gems, which remain in his family.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/bo-suu-tap-da-quy-lien-quan-xa-loi-phat-duoc-tra-ve-an-do-185250801075310631.htm