India is sending some holy relics to Thailand.
The relics of Lord Buddha and his followers will be put on display – together for the very the first time – from tomorrow.
The relics will be sent to Thailand in a special Air Force India Plane will enjoy the status of a ‘State guest.’
They were earlier sent to Mongolia and Sri Lanka.
But what do we know about the relics? And how do they push forward Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s foreign policy?
Let’s take a closer look:
What do we know about the relics?
The relics of Lord Buddha and his disciples Arahata Sariputra and Arahata Maudgalayana are known as the ‘Kapilvastu Relics.’
The relics date back to around the 4th or 5th Century BC.
They were found in Bihar’s Piprahwa — a site that is believed to be the ancient city of Kapilvastu.
They relics were discovered by a team of Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) officials in the 1970s.
The ASI conducted excavations at Piprahwa during 1971-77 under the supervision of then archeology director KM Srivastava.
The excavation team had discovered two inscribed steatite stone caskets containing 12 sacred relics from a bigger casket and 10 sacred relics from a smaller casket.
As per Indian Express, the inscription on the casket’s lid talks about the relics of Buddha and his community the Sakya reads: ‘Sukiti bhatinam sa-bhaginikanam sa-puta-dalanam iyam salila nidhare Bhaddhasa bhagavate sakiyanam.’
This roughly translates to: “This shrine for relics of the Buddha, the August One, is that of the Sakyas. The brethren of the distinguished One, in association with their sisters and with their children and their wives.”
Piprahwa today is located in Uttar Pradesh’s Siddharthnagar district.
Of these 22 pieces of relics (bone fragments), 20 are kept at the National Museum and two at the Indian Museum in Kolkata.
Lord Buddha achieved Mahaparinirvana at the age of 80 in Kushinagar.
“The Mallas of Kushinagara cremated his body with ceremonies befitting a ‘Universal King’ (‘cakravartin’). His holy relics, from the funeral pyre, were collected, divided and given by Brahmin priest Dhona of Kushinagar to kings and priests.
“The eight shares were distributed among Ajatashatru of Magadha, the Licchavis of Vaishali, the Sakyas of Kapilavastu, Mallas of Kushinagar, Bullies of Allakappa, the Mallas of Pava, the Koliyas of Ramagrama and a Brahmana of Vethadipa,” Union culture ministry said.
The sacred relics were commemorated in eight different stupas.
Two more stupas came into existence, one over the urn in which the relics had been collected and one over the embers. Thus, stupas erected over the bodily relics of Buddha (Saririka-stupas) are the earliest surviving Buddhist shrines, the note shared by the ministry said.
It is stated that Ashoka (circa 272-232 BC), being an ardent follower of Buddhism, opened up seven of these eight stupas, and collected a major portion of the relics for enshrinement within innumerable stupas built by him to popularise Buddhism and spread dharma.
In 1898, the discovery of an inscribed casket by William Claxton Peppé, a British colonial engineer and an estate manager at a Buddhist stupa site at Piprahwa, was an epoch-making incident. The inscription on the lid referred to the relics of Buddha and his community.
“The bone relics present in the stone coffer were presented to King Rama V of Thailand. The relics were further divided into three shares and gifted to Thailand, Myanmar and Sri Lanka. In Thailand, the holy relic has been enshrined in a chedi on the top of Suwanbanphot, Bangkok.
“Every year, during the Loi Krathong Festival, there is a seven-day and seven-night celebration, which has become a tradition to worship the Buddha’s relics,” it added.
‘Beautiful pagoda constructed’
Four of the relics will be part of a 26-day exhibition from tomorrow.
The relics Arahata Sariputra and Arahata Maudgalayana were brought to Delhi from Sanchi to prepare for the journey.
The relics will be welcomed in a ‘grand ceremony’ and then securely housed in Bangkok’s National Museum.
According to Deccan Herald, the relics will undergo a period of ‘quarantine’ here.
Ministry officials on Tuesday said a “beautiful pagoda has been specially constructed in Bangkok by the Thailand government to enshrine the holy relics which will be on display there”.
The exhibition itinerary includes visits to multiple venues across Thailand, allowing devotees and enthusiasts alike to pay homage to these revered artefacts, officials said.
The relics will be displayed at Sanam Luang Pavilion in Bangkok from 22 February to 3 March, at Ho Kum Luang, Royal Rujapruek, Chiang Mai from 4 to 8 March, at Wat Maha Wanaram, Ubon Ratchathani from 9 to 13 Marchand at Wat MahaThat, Aoluek, Krabi from 14 to 18 March.
The relics will return to India on 19 March.
“These relics are being sent at the request of the Thai government. The Thai government has also requested to send relics of the two disciples of Lord Buddha — Arahata Sariputra and Arahata Maudgalayana. The relics of these two disciples are preserved at Sanchi We had requested the Madhya Pradesh government, and it is a matter of happiness that they have accepted it. Alongside the relics of Lord Buddha, the relics of Sariputta and Mogallana will also be part of the delegation,” Mohan said.
A 22-member Indian delegation led by Bihar Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar and Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Virendra Kumar will accompany the relics to Thailand.
According to Indian Express, the event is being organised by the Ministry of External Affairs, the Indian Embassy in Thailand, the International Buddhist Confederation and the Madhya Pradesh government.
Exhibitions on Buddhist sites in India and talks on relics by academicians will also take place.
How does it push forward PM Modi’s foreign policy?
According to The Times of India, the move is part of the Modi government’s ‘Look East’ policy.
The piece noted that the Modi government earlier sent the relics to Mongolia – another country with a massive Buddhist population.
It said India was reiterating its emphasis on ‘soft power.’
It added that New Delhi would continue to ‘develop and promote’ the Buddhist circuit by investing heavily in developing infrastructure projects.
Rijiju at the time said the country was India’s ‘Third Neighbour’ despite not sharing a common physical boundary and that this was a ‘special gift’ for the people of Mongolia.
Mongolia and India look upon each other as spiritual and cultural neighbours and due to this commonality, Rijiju added.
The relics in 2022 were taken to Mongolia for an 11-day exhibition as part of celebrations of Mongolian Buddh Purnima.
A 25-member delegation led by Kiren Rijiju had accompanied the relics – which travelled in a special airplane C-17 Globe Master.
They were displayed at the Batsagaan Temple on the premises of Gandan Monastery.
Prior to 2022, the relics were sent to Sri Lanka in 2012 where they were put on display at several locations across the nation.
However, the relics were later reclassified under the ‘AA category’ of Antiquities and Art Treasures – which states that they should not ordinarily be taken out of India given their delicate nature.
The Modi government sent the relics to Mongolia after a ‘special request,’ according to The Times of India.
Union Culture Secretary Govind Mohan said given the ancient ties of India with Thailand, this occasion would also be a “diplomatic achievement” for New Delhi.
“…it will go a long way in strengthening the ties between India and Thailand. While in Thailand one can see similarities to Indian culture, the exposition will be welcomed by Buddhists in Thailand,” Mohan was quoted as saying by Deccan Herald.
Parts of the collection were earlier sent to Singapore in 2007, South Korea and Thailand in 1995, Singapore in 1994, Mongolia in 1993 and Sri Lanka in 1976_._
With inputs from agencies
