New Delhi, April 29 (H.S.): The Ministry of Culture and the International Buddhist Confederation (IBC) will organize the exhibition of the sacred Buddha relics from Sarnath in Vietnam for the first time. The sacred relics of the Buddha will be transported to Ho Chi Minh City on May 1 by a special Indian Air Force aircraft with senior monks, adhering to full religious sanctity and protocols, from the National Museum.
A high-level delegation of the International Buddhist Confederation, led by Secretary General Ven. SharTse Khensur Rinpoche Jangchup Choeden and including members of the Governing Council, will participate in the sacred exhibition ceremonies and Vesak celebrations in Vietnam. The delegation will be led by Kiren Rijiju, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Minority Affairs.
According to the Ministry of Culture, the sacred relics will be brought to Delhi from the Mulagandha Kuti Vihar (monastery) in Sarnath on April 30 for this exhibition, which is being organized on the occasion of United Nations (UN) Day Vesak. The relics of Shakyamuni Buddha are housed in the Kuti Vihar. Upon arrival in Delhi, the sacred relics will be placed in a specially protected area of the National Museum at 5:30 PM on April 30, where followers of Dharma will engage in prayers, chanting, and meditation, including distinguished community members and diplomatic representatives from Buddhist countries. The next day, on May 1, the sacred relics of the Buddha will be transported from the National Museum to Ho Chi Minh City by senior monks, again adhering to full religious sanctity and protocols.
On Tuesday, Ashish Goyal, Additional Director General of the National Museum, stated that the sacred relics will be displayed in four cities in Vietnam. The exhibition will take place at four locations in Vietnam over 22 days. First, from May 2-8, in Ho Chi Minh City at the Han Tam Monastery, followed by Ba Den Mountain in Tay Ninh Province (the national spiritual pilgrimage site of southern Vietnam) from May 9-13. The sacred relics will then be displayed at Quan Su Monastery in Hanoi (the headquarters of the Vietnam Buddhist Association) from May 14-18. Finally, they will be showcased at Tam Chuc Monastery in Ha Nam Province (the largest Buddhist center in Southeast Asia) from May 18-21.
They stated that this important exhibition is being launched on the occasion of United Nations (UN) Vesak Day 2025, as it is being celebrated in Vietnam this time. This is not only an opportunity for the citizens of Vietnam to receive blessings from the sacred relics but also for international representatives from over 100 countries and regions who are arriving to participate in the Vesak Day celebrations.
Notably, the excavation of the sacred relics of Buddha established at the Mulagandha Kuti Vihar was conducted at Nagarjun Konda, a prominent site in Andhra Pradesh. The then superintendent of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), A.H. Longhurst, conducted extensive excavations from 1927 to 1931. Most of the monuments at this site were constructed in the 3rd-4th centuries CE. Remains of over thirty Buddhist establishments were found here.
According to inscriptions, the oldest Great Stupa dates back to around 246 BCE, but archaeologists believe that it may be even older. After the excavations, these relics were presented to the Mahabodhi Society of India on December 27, 1932, by Rai Bahadur Daya Ram Sahni, the Director General of ASI, on behalf of the Viceroy of India before an esteemed assembly of Buddhists. This site holds historical importance as a major center of Buddhism and is associated with the monk and philosopher Nagarjuna from the second century. It has been worshipped and revered since the Mahaparinirvana of Buddha.
Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
