India has secured the return of an important set of ancient Buddhist relics, known as the Piprahwa gems, more than a century after their removal during British colonial rule. The relics returned to India on Wednesday after an extensive effort by the Indian government, private stakeholders, and advocates to halt their international sale and to repatriate the items to their country of origin.
The relics, which include a collection of small gem fragments, have been dated to the third century BCE. They were unearthed in 1898 by British landowner William Claxton Peppe during excavations at Piprahwa in northern India, near the border with present-day Nepal. The site is widely recognized as part of the ancient city of Kapilavastu, traditionally identified as the childhood home of Siddhartha Gautama, who would later become the Buddha.
According to India’s Ministry of Culture, the Piprahwa relics were removed from India during the colonial period and eventually entered private collections abroad.The relics surfaced in an auction listing with Sotheby’s in early 2024, slated for sale in Hong Kong in May 2025.* India’s Culture Ministry quickly issued a legal notice to the auction house demanding cancelation of the sale and repatriation of the artifacts, citing their exceptional religious and archaeological significance.
“These relics have long held immense spiritual value for the global Buddhist community and represent one of the most important archaeological discoveries in India’s history,” the ministry said in an official statement. (Yahoo News)
The return was made possible through collaboration between the Ministry of Culture and Godrej Industries Group, a prominent Mumbai-based conglomerate. The company played a facilitating role in securing the withdrawal of the relics from auction and their safe return to the Indian authorities.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised the successful repatriation in a statement shared on social media, calling the occasion “joyous” for India’s cultural heritage. “It may be recalled that the Piprahwa relics were discovered in 1898 but were taken away from India during the colonial period,” he noted. “When they appeared in an international auction earlier this year, we worked to ensure they returned home. I appreciate all those who have been involved in this effort.” (Yahoo News)
Culture minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat described the recovery as “one of the most significant instances of repatriation of our lost heritage,” emphasizing the symbolic importance of restoring such culturally significant artifacts to their rightful place. (Yahoo News)
Shekhawat added: “A large portion of the acquired collection will be on loan to the National Museum for five years, and Godrej Industries has agreed to display the entire gem collection upon its arrival in India for a period of three months.” (The India Express)
Sotheby’s, the international auction house that had listed the items for sale, also issued a statement on Wednesday, noting that the firm was “delighted to have facilitated the return of the Piprahwa Gems to India. Sotheby’s is thrilled to have played such a central role in securing this historic outcome.” (Yahoo News)
The company had postponed the auction following India’s legal intervention and further discussion of the relics’ provenance.
The recovered items are believed to be connected to the Shakya clan, the Buddha’s own family lineage, which adds to their religious significance. Claxton Peppe’s 19th-century excavation unearthed a stupa at Piprahwa containing a soapstone urn with an inscription linking the relics to the Shakya people. While the full historical authenticity of the relics remains debated in some academic circles, the discovery has been widely accepted by many Buddhist communities worldwide as being of profound symbolic value.
SOAS professor Ashley Thompson and PhD student Conan Cheong wrote in April that the sale of the relics would “perpetuate colonial violence,” calling into question the legitimacy of colonial-era British rules that allowed private ownership of the sacred Indian artifacts. (Religion News Service)
The relics’ return marks a broader trend of repatriation efforts by countries seeking to reclaim cultural and religious artifacts removed during colonial periods.
See more
India secures return of ancient Buddhist gems (Yahoo News)
Sacred Piprahwa Relics of Lord Buddha Return Home to India (Government of India)
Sacred Buddhist Piprahwa gemstones, put up for auction, repatriated to India after 127 years (The Indian Express)
Auctioning the Buddha’s relics is perpetuating colonial violence (Religion News Service)
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