NEW DELHI: Sacred ancient gems linked to the Buddha’s remains went on display at an exhibit in New Delhi on Saturday, almost 130 years since they were taken abroad during British colonial rule.
The Piprahwa gems, named after the town in what is now the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, were removed by British colonial engineer William Claxton Peppe during excavations of a nearby religious site in 1898.
The collection of more than 300 carved gems is believed to be more than 2,000 years old and was found with the bodily relics of the Buddha in northern India, near the border with Nepal.
“India is not only the custodian of Lord Buddha’s sacred relics but also the living carrier of his tradition,” Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said during the opening of the exhibit.
“These sacred relics of Lord Buddha are India’s heritage. After a century-long wait, they have returned to the country.”
In May, the precious stones made international headlines after Peppe’s descendants, who kept a portion of the gems, put the items up for sale and consigned them for auction by Sotheby’s in Hong Kong, with bidding starting at roughly $1.3 million.
After the auction sparked an international outcry from Buddhist leaders, academics, and devotees, the Indian government intervened, threatening legal action and demanding the return of the jewels.
The gems were repatriated to India in July through a public-private partnership between the Indian government and Godrej Industries Group, a Mumbai-based Indian conglomerate, which reportedly acquired the jewels.
The New Delhi exhibit marked the first time the entire collection was displayed to the Indian public since they were excavated by the British in the late 19th century.
“After the excavation, a portion had been kept by the excavator William Claxton Peppe, and it became his family heirloom. And, of course, it traveled out of India, and a portion remained at the Indian Museum,” Lily Pandey, a joint secretary at the Indian Ministry of Culture, told Arab News on the sidelines of the event.
Pandey said that a series of “very fortunate events” led to the exhibition and the showing of all the gems together.
The Piprahwa relics are considered central in the archaeological study of early Buddhism and are “among the earliest and most historically significant relic deposits directly connected” to the Buddha, the Indian government said in a release.
Savita Kumari, an associate professor at the Indian Institute of Heritage, said the exhibit gave Indians an opportunity to connect with the Buddha.
“Buddha is actually present in these relics,” she told Arab News.
“It’s the living presence of Buddha himself. So, it is very important emotionally and spiritually for the people of the country to have it with us.”
