State PCS - Uttar Pradesh (UP PCS)

• 01 Aug 2025

Return of Sacred Piprahwa Relics to India After 127 Years

Why in News? 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed the return of the sacred Piprahwa relics of Lord Buddha to India after 127 years, calling it a proud and joyous moment for the nation’s cultural heritage.  

• Godrej Industries (with government) played a key role in acquiring and repatriating the relics, which were taken abroad during the colonial era, from Sotheby’s auction house, ensuring their return to India for display at the National Museum in New Delhi. 

About Piprahwa Relics 

• About: The Piprahwa relics, believed to contain relics of Lord Buddha, were excavated by William Claxton Peppé in 1898 at the Piprahwa Stupa in Uttar Pradesh, believed to be ancient Kapilavastu, the birthplace of Lord Buddha.  
  • They include bone fragments of the Buddha, soapstone caskets, crystal caskets, gemstones, gold ornaments, and other ritual offerings.  
  • An inscription in Brahmi script on one casket links the relics directly to Lord Buddha, stating they were deposited by the Sakya clan.  
• Legal Protection of the Relics:  
  • India classifies the relics as ‘AA’ antiquities (highest level of legal protection).  
  • Indian law prohibits their sale or export, making any attempt to auction or remove them illegal.  
  • While most relics were handed over to the Indian Museum, Kolkata, in 1899, descendants of British excavator William Claxton Peppé retained some relics like Piprahwa relics. 

Note: The relics of the Buddha were enshrined in 9 stupas built at various locations after his death, including: 

• Rajagriha, Vaishali, Vethadipa, and Pava in Bihar 
• Kapilavastu, Allakappa, and Ramagrama in Nepal 
• Kushinagar and Pippalvina in Uttar Pradesh.