Guwahati: The sacred Piprahwa relics of Lord Buddha arrived at Tawang airport on Saturday, marking the start of a three-week exposition across Arunachal Pradesh. The relics, brought from the National Museum in New Delhi, will be displayed in Tawang, Bomdila and Namsai from October 31 to November 21.
Welcoming the relics, Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu described their arrival as a historic occasion and a matter of great honour for the state’s Buddhist community.
He said the exposition would reinforce the teachings of Lord Buddha, particularly the values of compassion, peace, wisdom and universal brotherhood.
The relics originated from the ancient Piprahwa Stupa in Uttar Pradesh’s Siddharthnagar district, an archaeological site linked to ancient Kapilavastu, regarded as the ancestral homeland of the Shakya clan.
Earlier, Arunachal East MP Tapir Gao and Women and Child Development Minister Dasanglu Pul received the relics at Guwahati airport during a ceremonial event attended by Buddhist monks and government officials.
Describing the exposition as a rare opportunity, Pul said it would enable devotees to seek blessings and pay their respects to Lord Buddha.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also sent a special message for the occasion, describing the exposition as an event of immense spiritual and cultural significance.
He highlighted Arunachal Pradesh’s place in India’s Buddhist heritage and expressed confidence that the public display of the relics, along with the accompanying international conference, would promote greater understanding of shared Buddhist values.
The public exposition will open at Tawang Monastery on November 1 and continue until November 7. Chief Minister Pema Khandu and Union Culture and Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat are expected to attend the formal inauguration.
Tawang will also host an international conference titled “Buddhism: Dissemination in the Himalayan Region and Beyond” on November 2 and 3. The event is expected to bring together scholars, international delegates and Buddhist monks.
After the Tawang programme, the relics will be taken to Thubchog Gatsel Ling Monastery in Bomdila, West Kameng district, where devotees can view them from November 8 to 13.
The final phase of the exposition will take place at the Golden Pagoda in Namsai from November 14 to 20.
The relics are scheduled to be transported back to the National Museum in New Delhi on November 21, bringing the three-week exposition to a close.
