Buddha's relics first came to Vietnam

NDO - On May 1, the Buddha's relics were officially welcomed to Ho Chi Minh City by a special Indian plane within the framework of the 2025 United Nations Vesak Festival hosted by Vietnam from May 6 to 8, 2025.

According to information from the Indian Embassy in Vietnam, the delegation to invite the relics was led by Mr. Kiren Rijiju, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Minorities of India, along with senior Indian officials and eminent monks. The relics were invited from the holy land of Sarnath - where the Buddha gave his first sermon.

At Tan Son Nhat Airport, the delegation was solemnly welcomed by Minister of Ethnic Minorities and Religions Dao Ngoc Dung, Permanent Vice Chairman of Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Duong Ngoc Hai, Supreme Patriarch of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha - Most Venerable Thich Tri Quang, and representatives of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha.

Immediately after arriving, solemn chanting rituals were held at the airport, followed by a relic enshrinement ceremony at Thanh Tam Pagoda (Ho Chi Minh City) presided over by Most Venerable Elder Thich Tri Quang.

According to plan, the Buddha's relics will be enshrined at Thanh Tam Pagoda from May 2 to 7, then continue their journey to Tay Ninh, Hanoi and Ha Nam , ending on May 21.

On this occasion, a grafted tree from the sacred Bodhi tree in India was also respectfully planted on the campus of the Vietnam Buddhist Academy in Ho Chi Minh City, as a symbol of the spiritual connection and friendship between the two countries.

Image of Buddha's relics being brought to Vietnam. (Photo: Embassy of India in Vietnam)

This is the first time in history that Buddha's relics have been invited to Vietnam, thanks to close coordination between the Vietnamese Government , the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha, the Indian Government and international Buddhist organizations.

On the occasion of the Vesak Festival and in the context of the ever-growing Vietnam-India friendship, a thematic exhibition on the more than 2,000-year-long Buddhist-cultural-artistic connection between the two nations will be held at the Vietnam Buddhist Academy in Ho Chi Minh City.

In particular, the Indian art troupe will perform the dance drama “The Journey of Gautama Buddha”, recreating the life and message of Buddha Shakyamuni, in Ho Chi Minh City, Tay Ninh, Hanoi and other localities across the country from May 5 to 13.

The relics of the Tathagata Buddha are kept at the Mūlagandhakuti Vihāra Monastery at the Ishipatana Migadaya shrine, Sarnath, Kashi (Varanasi), India, where the Buddha preached his first sermon. The relics kept at Sarnath are the body relics (Shariradhātu) of the Buddha, enclosed in a silver casket kept at the Mūlagandhakuti Vihāra Monastery.

Every year, the foundation day of Mūlagandhakuti Vihāra is celebrated in November. During the event, a special exhibition of relics is held for public viewing.

Source: https://nhandan.vn/xa-loi-duc-phat-lan-dau-den-viet-nam-post876887.html