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Sacred Buddha Relics from Devnimori Reach Delhi En Route to Sri Lanka

The sacred Devnimori relics of Lord Buddha have arrived in New Delhi ahead of their journey to Colombo, Sri Lanka, for a historic public exposition. The relics will be displayed at Colombo's Gangaramaya Temple from February 4 to 10, marking their first-ever international exhibition. The event follows an announcement by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and is described by Sri Lanka's High Commissioner as a "rare blessing" for the country. The delegation accompanying the relics includes Gujarat Governor Acharya Devvrat and Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi.

Key Points: Sacred Buddha Relics Travel from India to Sri Lanka for Exposition

  • Relics en route to Colombo for public veneration
  • First-ever international exposition of the Devnimori relics
  • Delegation led by Gujarat Governor and Deputy CM
  • Part of India-Sri Lanka cultural cooperation
  • Relics to return to India on February 11
2 min read

Sacred devnimori relics of Lord Buddha reaches Delhi ahead of public veneration in Colombo

Sacred Devnimori relics of Lord Buddha arrive in Delhi, heading for public veneration in Colombo from Feb 4-10, following PM Modi's announcement.

"A rare blessing for Sri Lanka. - Mahishini Colonne"

New Delhi, February 4

The Sacred Devnimori Relics of Lord Buddha, scheduled to travel to Colombo, Sri Lanka, for public veneration from February 4 to 10, arrived at the National Museum in New Delhi on Tuesday.

The relics will return from Sri Lanka on February 11 and will be displayed at the Gangaramaya Temple in Colombo from February 4 to 10.

The delegation will be led by the Governor of Gujarat, Acharya Devvrat, and Deputy Chief Minister of Gujarat Harsh Sanghavi. The delegation will include officials of the National Museum, representatives of MS University, Vadodara, where the Holy Relics are presently placed, and the International Buddhist Confederation.

Earlier, Sri Lanka's High Commissioner to India, Mahishini Colonne, on Sunday described the exposition of the sacred Devnimori Relics of Lord Buddha in Colombo as a "rare blessing" for the country, thanking the Government of India for making the historic event possible.

"A rare blessing for Sri Lanka. The sacred Devnimori Relics of Lord Buddha are on exposition at Gangaramaya Temple in Sri Lanka -- the first ever international exposition of the relics. Grateful to the Government of India and all those who made this possible," Colonne said in a post on X.

Her remarks came in response to an announcement by the High Commission of India in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Saturday, which said the relics would be travelling to Sri Lanka following an announcement by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "Pursuant to PM @narendramodi's announcement, the Holy Devnimori Relics of Lord Buddha are travelling to Sri Lanka for their first-ever international exposition," the post said.

According to the announcement, the relics will be open for public veneration from February 5 at Colombo's Gangaramaya Temple.

These relics are significant, as they showcase Buddhist artefacts and sculptures from the Western Satraps period. They're now on display in Sri Lanka at the country's first-ever international exposition, underscoring their cultural significance.

According to the MEA brief in terms of cultural relations, the cooperation between both the countries includes the establishment of the Indian Gallery at the International Buddhist Museum in Kandy; restoration of the Thirukeeteswaram Temple in Mannar; exposition of sacred Kapilavastu relics, which was organised in Sri Lanka in 2012 to commemorate the 2600th year of the attainment of enlightenment by Lord Buddha (Sambuddhatva Jayanthi); etc.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
Such initiatives are wonderful. They go beyond politics and touch the spiritual core of our relationship with Sri Lanka. Hope more people get to experience this. However, I do wish the domestic publicity for such events was stronger so more Indians could learn about our own priceless artifacts.
R
Rohit P
Great move! India's soft power is its ancient culture and spirituality. Sharing these relics showcases our civilizational depth and fosters goodwill. This is how you build lasting friendships in the neighbourhood. Kudos to all involved.
S
Sarah B
As someone living in Delhi, it's fascinating to learn about these relics and their journey. The history from the Western Satraps period sounds incredible. India's museum diplomacy is really impressive.
K
Karthik V
Bharat is truly the guru and guardian of Buddhist heritage. From the Kapilavastu relics in 2012 to this, we are consistently honoring our shared history with Sri Lanka. This is the real "neighbourhood first" policy in action. Jai Bhim, Jai Buddha.
M
Michael C
While the cultural aspect is commendable, I hope the logistical and security arrangements for transporting such priceless relics are absolutely foolproof. The article mentions they are from MS University in Vadodara - are our own museums equipped to preserve them properly when they return?

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