During a recent visit to Thailand, Indian prime minister Narendra Modi announced on 3 April that India would once again loan sacred relics of the Buddha to Thailand, continuing a series of cultural exchanges aimed at deepening spiritual and diplomatic ties between the two nations.
“Last year, holy relics of Lord Buddha were sent from India to Thailand. It is a matter of great joy that over four million devotees received the opportunity to have a darshan,” Modi said in a public statement delivered in Bangkok alongside his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra. Modi expressed happiness in continuing ongoing cultural exchanges, adding: “I am happy to announce that the holy relics of Lord Buddha, found in Gujarat’s Aravalli in 1960, will also be sent to Thailand for darshan.” (The Tribune)
The relics, unearthed at the archaeological site of Devni Mori, in Aravalli District in the western Indian state of Gujarat, will be transported to Thailand where they will be placed public display. According to the Gujarat Tourism website, the relics were discovered inside a Buddhist stupa dated to the 3rd–4th century CE. Archaeologists found an inscribed casket that explicitly mentioned it contained bodily relics of the Buddha.
These sacred relics are typically preserved at the National Museum in New Delhi and rarely leave India for public exhibitions. Their upcoming journey to Thailand follows a similar event held in 2024, when relics of the Buddha and his two chief disciples, Arahata Sariputta and Arahata Maha Moggallana, toured four major Thai cities from 11 February–18 March. This event was significant as it marked the first known occasion in which relics of the Buddha, Sariputta, and Maha Moggallana from Sanchi Stupa in India were exhibited together in Thailand.
India’s ambassador to Thailand, Nagesh Singh, emphasized the significance of this cultural exchange in a statement published earlier by the Indian Embassy in Thailand, noting the historic nature of bringing together these relics for public veneration.
Historically, relics of the Buddha were loaned to Thailand by India in 1995–96, commemorating the 50th anniversary of King Rama IX’s accession to the throne. Relics of Sariputta and Maha Moggallana were repatriated to India from England in 1952 by the then president of the Maha Bodhi Society, Syama Prasad Mookerjee, who arranged their Dhammayatra pilgrimage to various countries.
During the joint statement in Bangkok, Modi also commented on India’s long-standing ties with Thailand: “Our ancient ties were also seen in India during the Mahakumbh. More than 600 Buddhist devotees from Thailand and several other countries became a part of this spiritual and cultural gathering. Mahakumbh gave a message of world peace. . . .” (The Tribune)
Modi is in Thailand to attend the sixth Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Summit, which began on 4 April. The BIMSTEC Summit is an important regional initiative aimed at enhancing technical and economic cooperation among member states around the Bay of Bengal region that include, alongside India and Thailand, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Nepal, and Sri Lanka.
This announcement regarding the loan of the Buddha’s relics is expected to further strengthen bilateral relations, enhancing mutual cultural appreciation and spiritual connection between the two nations.
Modi’s statement further underscores the strong Buddhist cultural connection between Thailand and India, rooted in a shared historyof more than 2,000 years. Buddhism, predominantly Theravada, remains the principal religion of Thailand, practiced by 93.5 per cent of the population, according to 2018 data.
See more
India to send Lord Buddha’s holy relics from Gujarat’s Aravalli to Thailand: PM Modi (The Tribune)
PM Modi meets Thai royalty, exchanges views on shared cultural heritage (Sakshi Post)
PM Modi meets King & Queen of Thailand, speaks about relics of Lord Buddha (News On Air)
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