The pagoda constructed by the Thai government in Bangkok to enshrine the relics. Ministry of Culture
The relics fall under the ‘AA’ (rare) category of antiquities and art treasures and are not meant to be lent for exhibitions, within India or in foreign nations. But the exposition in Thailand was being held upon a “special request” by the Thai Government, the Ministry of Culture said.
Four of the 20 relics of Lord Buddha preserved at the National Museum are being taken to Thailand for a month-long exposition beginning Thursday, in a rare trip abroad for the delicate antiquities recovered more than a century ago.
The relics fall under the ‘AA’ (rare) category of antiquities and art treasures and are not meant to be lent for exhibitions, within India or in foreign nations. But the exposition in Thailand was being held upon a “special request” by the Thai Government, the Ministry of Culture said.
Union Culture Secretary Govind Mohan told a press conference the relics will be ferried to Thailand as “state guest” in a special Indian Air Force plane. “The relics will reach Thailand on February 22 and will be displayed at a special pavilion in Bangkok until March 3,” he said, adding that the relics will later be taken to Chiang Mai, Ubon Ratchathani and Krabi, before returning to India on March 19.
The pagoda constructed by the Thai government in Bangkok to enshrine the relics. Ministry of Culture
The relics will be accompanied by a 22-member official delegation led by Bihar Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar and Union Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment, Virendra Kumar. Monks from Kushinagar, Aurangabad and Ladakh, besides the curators from the National Museum, will also be travelling along with the relics.
In view of the ‘AA’ category and considering their delicate nature, the relics are not ordinarily taken out of India for exhibition. The last time these were sent abroad was in 2022, for an exposition in Mongolia.
The relics at the National Museum are known as the ‘Kapilvastu Relics’ as they were recovered in 1898 from a site in Bihar believed to be the ancient city of Kapilvastu.
It was an inscribed casket found at the stupa site in Piprahwa (near Siddharthnagar in Uttar Pradesh) that helped identify Kapilavastu. The casket contained the relics of Buddha and Sakya, his community. Along with the Buddha relics, the relics of his two disciples preserved in Madhya Pradesh’s Sanchi are also being sent to Thailand for display. It will be the first time the relics of Lord Buddha and his disciples will be showcased together.
The event is being organised with the support of Ministry of External Affairs, the Indian Embassy in Thailand, the International Buddhist Confederation and the Madhya Pradesh government.
Exhibitions about Buddhist sites in India and talks on relics by academicians will also be held on the sidelines.
