Sacred relics of Lord Buddha arrive at Tawang Monastery for exposition in Arunachal Pradesh
Chief Minister Pema Khandu received the Piprahwa relics from the National Museum; they will also travel to Bomdila and Namsai.
The holy relics of Shakyamuni Buddha, brought from the National Museum in New Delhi, were ceremonially received at Tawang by Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu on November 2, opening an exposition of India's Buddhist heritage in the state.
The relics were given a traditional religious reception at the historic Gaden Namgyal Lhatse (Tawang Monastery) in the presence of Union Culture and Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Buddhist monks and devotees.
Organised by the Ministry of Culture with the Arunachal Pradesh government, the International Buddhist Confederation and the National Museum, the exposition will let devotees pay homage at three centres of Buddhist faith: Tawang, Bomdila and Namsai.
The relics come from Piprahwa in Uttar Pradesh, a site linked to ancient Kapilavastu. In a message, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the exposition an occasion of immense spiritual and cultural significance. It coincides with Lhabab Duchen, an important occasion in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition.
Source: Press Information Bureau (PIB), Government of India. Photo: PIB.
