Union Minister Kiren Rijiju on Friday announced that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate "The Light & the Lotus: Relics of the Awakened One," a landmark international exposition featuring the sacred Piprahwa relics directly linked to Lord Buddha.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the Grand International Exposition of Sacred Piprahwa Relics related to Lord Buddha, titled "The Light & the Lotus: Relics of the Awakened One", on Saturday, January 3, at around 11 AM at the Rai Pithora Cultural Complex in New Delhi.
The Holy Buddha Relics, enshrined at the Grand Kuenray Hall in Thimphu since November 8, were ceremonially bid farewell on Tuesday morning in a traditional prayer ceremony attended by Bhutan's top leadership, senior officials and revered monks from India and Bhutan.
Union Minister Kiren Rijiju on Tuesday said that the sacred relics of Lord Buddha, recently brought to Bhutan, left a deep impression on the people, coinciding with the International Peace Prayer and the birth anniversary of the fourth king of Bhutan.
Union Minister Kiren Rijiju travelled to Bhutan to lead the delegation bringing back the sacred relics of Lord Buddha, which were taken from India for public display. He posted on X that he was "leaving for the Kingdom of Bhutan" to oversee the return of the relics.
To facilitate the return of the Holy Relics, a special aircraft will depart for Bhutan on November 24. The sacred relics will be brought back to India on November 25.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi held wide-ranging discussions with Bhutan's King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck during his visit to the Himalayan country. These covered areas like energy, defence and technology.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will pay a two-day State visit to Bhutan beginning today and participate in the Global Peace Prayer Festival organised by the Royal Government of Bhutan.
India has sent sacred relics of Lord Buddha, enshrined at the National Museum, New Delhi, to Bhutan for a public exposition from November 8th to 18th, marking yet another chapter in the deep spiritual and cultural connection between the two nations.
This sacred exposition is part of India's continuing tradition of sharing its Buddhist heritage with the world. It follows successful international relic exhibitions in Mongolia, Thailand, Vietnam, and Russia's Kalmykia region, as well as the historic repatriation of the Piprahwa Jewel Relic
Motihari holds a distinct place in India's development journey. Renowned as a major agricultural hub, it is famous for its sugarcane and litchi cultivation. The region also carries deep Buddhist significance, being part of the ancient Champaran area associated with Lord Buddha's travels.
The relics, enshrined at the National Museum in New Delhi, were taken to Thimphu on an Indian Air Force aircraft, accompanied by a high-level delegation led by Dr. Virendra Kumar, Union Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment.