Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said that the heritage of India has returned after 125 years, referring to the sacred relics of Lord Buddha that are now on display.
During the inauguration of the Grand
International Exposition of Sacred Piprahwa Relics related to Lord Buddha, titled “The Light & the Lotus: Relics of the Awakened One” at the Rai Pithora Cultural Complex in New Delhi, PM Modi said: “… India is not just the protector of the heritage of Lord Buddha, but the carrier of His traditions… When I was the CM of Gujarat, thousands of relics related to Lord Buddha were discovered there, and today our government is protecting them as well as imparting the related knowledge to the present generation.”
“The heritage of India has returned to the country after a wait of 125 years… Now Indian citizens will be able to have darshan of these pure relics of Lord Buddha and take His blessings…,” he said.
#WATCH | Delhi | PM Narendra Modi says, “The heritage of India has returned to the country after a wait of 125 years… Now Indian citizens will be able to have darshan of these pure relics of Lord Buddha and take His blessings…”
(Source: DD) pic.twitter.com/UGDhCYcTaL
— ANI (@ANI) January 3, 2026
PM Modi further said: “… We are grateful to have the relics of Lord Buddha among us… Slavery destroys our heritage – and the same happened with the relics of Lord Buddha, they were snatched from India… Those who took them away were trying to auction them in the international market because… But for India, these relics are a part of our Lord and our society. This is why we decided to stop their auction…”
The Prime Minister said that the Buddhist sites are being modernised today and new facilities are being built for the pilgrims. “We are trying to impart the Pali language, related to Lord Buddha, to the masses, and hence, it has been given the status of classical language…”
Sharing insights about how teachings of Lord Buddha has impacted his life, PM Modi said: “… Lord Buddha had a deep impact on my life. I was born in a city which was a major centre of Buddhist teachings… Sarnath, my Karmabhoomi, is the place where Lord Buddha gave his first teachings… I tried to spread the heritage of Lord Buddha wherever I went and therefore took the Bodhi plant when I went to China, Japan, Mongolia…”
On Friday, he shared glimpses from the event and urged “all those passionate about culture and Buddhism” to visit the exposition.
According to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), the Exposition brings together, for the first time, the Piprahwa relics repatriated after more than a century with authentic relics and archaeological materials from Piprahwa that are preserved in the collections of the National Museum, New Delhi, and the Indian Museum, Kolkata.
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 links the Piprahwa site to ancient Kapilavastu, widely identified as the place where Bhagwan Buddha spent his early life before renunciation.
The exposition highlights India’s deep and continuing civilisational link with the teachings of Buddha and reflects the Prime Minister’s commitment to preserving India’s rich spiritual and cultural heritage. The recent repatriation of these relics has been achieved through sustained government effort, institutional cooperation and innovative public-private partnership.
