New Delhi, 03 January (H.S.): Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the Grand International Exposition of Sacred Piprahwa Relics associated with Lord Buddha, titled “The Light & the Lotus: Relics of the Awakened One,” on Saturday at 11 a.m. at the Rai Pithora Cultural Complex here.

The event marks a historic reunion of relics discovered in 1898 at Piprahwa—widely identified as ancient Kapilavastu, where Buddha spent his formative years before renunciation—with artefacts repatriated after more than a century. These remains, among the earliest and most significant directly linked to the Enlightened One, underscore India's profound civilizational bond with Buddhist teachings.

Organised thematically for the first time, the exhibition integrates authenticated relics from the National Museum in New Delhi and the Indian Museum in Kolkata alongside the recently returned treasures, achieved through persistent government diplomacy, institutional collaboration, and public-private partnerships.

At its heart stands a reconstructed interpretive model inspired by the iconic Sanchi stupa, flanked by sections such as Piprahwa Revisited, Vignettes of the Life of Buddha, Intangible in the Tangible: The Aesthetic Language of Buddhist Teachings, Expansion of Buddhist Art and Ideals Beyond Borders, and Repatriation of Cultural Artefacts: The Continuing Endeavour.

To deepen visitor engagement, the exposition features immersive audio-visual aids, including films, digital reconstructions, interpretive projections, and multimedia displays that illuminate Buddha's life, the relics' unearthing, their global odyssey, and the evolution of associated artistic traditions.

This endeavour reflects Modi's steadfast commitment to safeguarding India's spiritual legacy while highlighting the nation's role in global Buddhist heritage preservation. The exposition, open to the public following the inauguration, promises profound insights into early Buddhism's archaeological and philosophical foundations.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar