Piprahwa Relics:
The Ministry of Culture, Government of India, proudly announced the historic return of the sacred Piprahwa relics of Lord Buddha to their rightful home in India.
- Piprahwa Relics are associated with the mortal remains of Lord Buddha.
- The Piprahwa Relics, which include bone fragments, soapstone and crystal caskets, a sandstone coffer, and offerings such as gold ornaments and gemstones. An inscription in Brahmi script on one of the caskets confirms these as relics of the Buddha, deposited by the Sakya clan.
- Discovered by: In 1898, William Claxton Peppé, an English estate manager and engineer, during an excavation found a stupa at Piprahwa, just south of Lumbini believed to be the birthplace of Lord Buddha.
- The British crown claimed Peppé’s find under the 1878 Indian Treasure Trove Act, and the bone and ash fragments were gifted by the British to King Chulalongkorn of Siam, now Thailand.
- The majorities of these relics were transferred to the Indian Museum, Kolkata, in 1899.
- These are classified as ‘AA’ antiquities under Indian law, prohibiting their removal or sale.
