The Culture Ministry has successfully secured the postponement of the auction of the sacred Piprahwa Buddhist relics by Sotheby’s Hong Kong, which was scheduled for today. The Piprahwa Relics were excavated in 1898 by William Claxton Peppé. These comprise bone fragments of the Historical Buddha, along with soapstone and crystal caskets, a sandstone coffer, and offerings such as gold ornaments and gemstones. An inscription in Brahmi script on one of the caskets confirms these as relics of the Buddha, deposited by the Sakya clan. The majority of these relics were transferred to the Indian Museum, Kolkata, in 1899 and are classified as ‘AA’ antiquities under Indian law, prohibiting their removal or sale. A portion of the bone relics was gifted to the King of Siam, while a selection of funerary gems retained by W.C. Peppé’s great-grandson, Chris Peppé, was listed for auction.
A high-level delegation led by Culture Secretary held discussions with Sotheby’s representatives yesterday. The delegation highlighted that the relics were not ordinary artifacts but held sacred significance for millions of Buddhists worldwide. Ministry of Culture, in collaboration with the ASI and External Affairs Ministry, will now engage all stakeholders to advance discussions on the repatriation of the relics to India.
Upon learning of the auction through media reports, the Director General of the Archaeological Survey of India wrote to the Consulate General of Hong Kong on 2nd of May, requesting the immediate cessation of the auction. During a bilateral meeting on the same day, Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat raised the matter with UK Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Lisa Nandy, emphasizing the relics’ cultural and religious significance and urging immediate action. Ministry of External Affairs was requested to follow up through its Europe West and East Asia Divisions with embassies in the UK and Hong Kong to ensure the auction’s stoppage.
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