New Delhi, May 7 (H.S.): The Ministry of Culture, Government of India, successfully postponed the auction of the sacred Piprahwa Buddhist relics by Sotheby’s Hong Kong, originally set for May 7, 2025.
These relics, including bone fragments of the Historical Buddha and various caskets, were excavated in 1898 by William Claxton Peppé and are inscribed in Brahmi script, affirming their provenance from the Sakya clan.
Following their excavation, most relics were transferred to the Indian Museum in Kolkata and are classified as ‘AA’ antiquities under Indian law, thus prohibited from sale. Upon discovering the planned auction, the Ministry took immediate action.
On May 2, the Director General of the Archaeological Survey of India wrote to the Hong Kong Consulate to demand the auction’s cessation. During a bilateral meeting the same day, Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat raised concerns with the UK Secretary of State for Culture.A review meeting occurred on May 5, leading to a legal notice to halt the auction.
The Ministry of External Affairs was tasked with coordinating through its Europe West and East Asia Divisions with embassies in the UK and Hong Kong to halt an auction. On May 5, 2025, Sotheby’s Hong Kong acknowledged the legal notice, promising a written response.
A day later, a high-level delegation from the Ministry of Culture, including key officials, engaged with Sotheby’s representatives, stressing the relics’ sacred importance to Buddhists globally and asserting their rightful ownership by India, from which they were taken during colonial times.
Later that day, Sotheby’s announced the postponement of the auction for further discussions, and the auction page was removed from its website. Support for these efforts came from India’s Permanent Representative to UNESCO, UNESCO officials, Buddhist organizations, and media coverage.
Now, the Ministry of Culture, in collaboration with the ASI and MEA, will work with stakeholders to facilitate discussions on the relics’ repatriation to India.
Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
