Key Points

A high-level delegation of eleven senior Indian monks will also offer blessings to the local devotees and conduct religious services for the region's predominantly Buddhist population, a release said.

The Holy Relics exposition, a first in the Russian Republic, is organised by the Union Ministry of Culture in collaboration with the International Buddhist Confederation (IBC), the National Museum, and the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA). It will be held in the capital city of Elista from October 11-18.

The Holy Relics will be received by the Head of the Buddhists of Kalmykia, Shajin Lama of Kalmykia, Geshe Tenzin Choidak, Batu Sergeyevich Khasikov, Head of the Republic of Kalmykia and other eminent Buddhist Sangha members, the release said.

https://x.com/PIB_India/status/1976593293799534907

The Sacred Relics will be enshrined in the main Buddhist monastery in Elista, known as the Geden Shedrup Choikorling Monastery, also referred to as the "Golden Abode of Shakyamuni Buddha."

This is a significant Tibetan Buddhist centre, opened for the public in 1996 and is surrounded by the Kalmyk steppe.

It may be recalled that it was the 19th Kushok Bakula Rinpoche, the revered Buddhist monk and diplomat from Ladakh, who played a pivotal role in reviving Buddhism in Mongolia and, subsequently, was also instrumental in reintroducing interest in Buddha dharma in the three regions of Russia, namely Buryatia, Kalmykia, and Tuva.

The delegation, led by the Deputy Chief Minister of UP, Keshav Prasad Maurya, will host additional activities during the week. These include teachings and discourses by His Holiness the 43rd Sakya Trizin Rinpoche, Head of the Sakya Order; the presentation of the Holy 'Kanjur', a Set of 108 Mongolian religious texts originally translated from the Tibetan language. IBC will present the Kanjur to nine Buddhist Institutes and a University. These are from the Manuscripts division of the Ministry of Culture.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is likely to be signed between the Central Spiritual Administration of Buddhism and the International Buddhist Confederation.

A unique exhibition of Buddhist stamps, curated by Vinod Kumar of Dharwad, Karnataka--featuring around 90 countries will also be displayed.

Another exhibition by IBC titled the "Sacred Legacy of the Shakyas: Excavation and Exposition of Buddha's Relics" will be presented through panel displays. It traces the remarkable journey of the Buddha's relics from their ancient enshrinement to their rediscovery. It opens with a map locating Piprahwa, identified with the ancient city of Kapilavastu, the capital of the Shakya clan. The panels guide visitors through the sacred geography in India of the Buddha's final days and the regions that hold the legacy of his timeless teachings.

An exhibition on 'Bodhicitta'- Treasures of Buddhist Art from the National Museum of India and the National Mission for Manuscripts in India will also be displayed at the venue. It offers a unique opportunity for visitors to engage deeply with India's rich Buddhist cultural heritage, spanning over two millennia.

Accompanying the Sacred Relics are other officials and Buddhist academicians. The Holy Relic will be transported from the National Museum with great reverence, escorted by senior monks with full religious sanctity and protocol, to Kalmykia by a special Indian Air Force aircraft., the release said.

Kalmykia is a region characterised by vast grasslands. However, it also encompasses desert areas, and it is situated in the southwestern part of Russia's European territory, bordering the Caspian Sea.

The Kalmyks are descendants of the Oirat Mongols who migrated from Western Mongolia in the early 17th century. Their history is deeply tied to nomadic lifestyles, which influences their culture.

They are the only ethnic group in Europe that practices Mahayana Buddhism. Kalmykia hosted the 3rd International Buddhist Forum from September 24 to 28, 2025, in its capital, Elista.

The holy relics of the Buddha have been taken to Mongolia, Thailand, and Vietnam in recent times. The Piprahwa relics at the National Museum were transported to Mongolia in 2022, whereas the holy relics of the Buddha and his two disciples, enshrined at Sanchi, were taken for exposition to Thailand in 2024.

In early 2025, the holy relics of the Buddha from Sarnath were transported to Vietnam. The relics for Russia are enshrined in the 'Buddhist Gallery' of the National Museum in New Delhi for veneration. The holy relics being taken to Kalmykia belong to this same family of relics based in the National Museum.

Earlier, in late July, Prime Minister Narendra Modi celebrated the repatriation of the sacred Jewel Relics (from Hong Kong), one of the most spiritually and archaeologically significant treasures ever discovered of Lord Buddha.

In a message, he said, "It would make every Indian proud that the sacred Piprahwa relics of Bhagwan Buddha have come home (to India) after 127 long years. These sacred relics highlight India's close association with Bhagwan Buddha and his noble teachings. It also illustrates our commitment to preserving and protecting different aspects of our glorious culture."

It is worth mentioning that India successfully retrieved the jewels associated with the Piprahwa relics from Hong Kong, where they were being auctioned. In a move led by the Ministry of Culture, the relics were returned to India with fanfare and enthusiasm among Buddhists in India and across the world.

Buddha belonged to the Shakya clan, whose capital was located at Kapilavastu. During an excavation in 1898, William Claxton Peppe discovered five small vases containing bone fragments, ashes, and jewels in a long-forgotten stupa in Piprahwa, near Birdpur in the Basti district of Uttar Pradesh.

Later, a team led by K M Srivastava performed further excavations at the Piprahwa site between 1971 and 1977.

The team discovered a casket containing fragments of charred bone, which they dated to the 4th or 5th century BCE. Based upon the findings of these excavations, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has identified Piprahwa as Kapilavastu.

- ANI