Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated the Grand International Exposition of ‘Sacred Piprahwa Relics’ related to Bhagwan Buddha, titled ‘The Light and the Lotus: Relics of the Awakened One,’ at the Rai Pithora Cultural Complex in New Delhi. Modi said the relics returned to India after a 127-year wait. The Indian Prime Minister said that the relics of Lord Buddha were taken away from India, and India was able to intervene during an auction and recover them. India is not only the custodian of the sacred relics of Lord Buddha but also a living carrier of that timeless tradition, and they are a part of the country’s revered heritage and an inseparable part of its civilization. Modi said India has made continuous efforts to contribute to the development of Buddhist heritage sites across the world. In India, sites are being modernized today, and new facilities are being built for the pilgrims. 

Lord Buddha’s teachings are originally in the Pali language that is accorded a classical language status. Discovered in 1898, the Piprahwa relics hold a central place in the archaeological study of early Buddhism. These are among the earliest and most historically significant relic deposits directly connected to Bhagwan Buddha. Archaeological evidence associates the Piprahwa site with ancient Kapilavastu, widely identified as the place where Bhagwan Buddha spent his early life prior to renunciation. Indian Minister of Culture Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said the Indian government was ensuring the preservation of the country’s archaeological and cultural heritage, digitising manuscripts