India has got back Piprahwa Gems linked to Buddha relics from Hong Kong after intervention from the Indian govt. The gems are worth $100 million, confirmed officials.
Piprahwa Buddha relics worth millions of dollars are coming back back to India after 127 yrs. In a total thriller, the Indian govt intervened to stop Sotheby’s auction in Hong Kong, with the matter being raised with the UK. Godrej acquired them & they will be displayed at national museum, said sources.
Watch pictures of these gems on social media:
Piprahwa Gems History
The “Piprahwa gems” refer to a collection of precious stone and relics which were discovered in Piprahwa in India in 1898. These gems were found alongside bone fragments and other items within a reliquary at the center of a Buddhist stupa. The inscription on the reliquary identified the remains as those of the Buddha, enshrined by the Sakya clan. The discovery is significant due to its association with the Buddha and the potential implications for Buddhist history and practice.
Key Details:
- Discovery: The gems were found during an excavation led by William Claxton Peppé, a British estate manager, at a stupa near Lumbini, Nepal, believed to be the Buddha’s birthplace.
- Reliquary: The gems were found within a stone coffer alongside bone fragments which were believed to be the Buddha’s remains.
- Inscription: An inscription on the reliquary confirmed that the remains were those of the Buddha, enshrined by the Sakya clan.
- Significance:The discovery is one of the most important archaeological finds in Buddhist history, connecting the relics to the Buddha himself.
- Current Status: The relics were initially deposited at the Indian Museum in Kolkata. A portion of the relics was retained by the Peppé family and slated for auction in Hong Kong, which prompted intervention from the Indian government. The auction was subsequently postponed.