How the Piprahwa gems came home, Pg12

Key Highlights:

• In February 2025, rare gems from the Piprahwa excavation were listed for auction on Sotheby’s Hong Kong website.
• The gems, discovered in 1898 by William Claxton Peppé, are believed to be relics of the Historical Buddha.
• An Indian professor alerted the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), leading to the auction being called off.
• In July 2025, almost 127 years after they were taken away, the gems were brought back to India.
• The gems are currently exhibited at Qila Rai Pithora in Delhi, along with other relics from the 1898 excavation.

Detailed Insights:

• The 1890s saw increased archaeological activity after the discovery of the Lumbini pillar, leading William Claxton Peppé to excavate a mound at Piprahwa, believed to be the site of ancient Kapilavastu.
• The excavation unearthed a sandstone coffer containing bone fragments of the Buddha, along with gold ornaments and gemstones, with an inscription confirming them as relics of the Shakya clan.
• After the auction was postponed, the mission shifted to repatriating the relics, with options including court procedure, government compensation, and a public-private partnership (PPP).
• The ministry chose the PPP route through an Indian philanthropist, as intelligence suggested the relics could be sold to organizations seeking to appropriate the Buddha’s legacy.
• The relics were transported from Hong Kong to Mumbai on a commercial flight and then to Delhi via a chartered flight, with monks chanting in the Mahayana and Theravada traditions upon arrival.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Sarir-dhaatu: Remains of a deceased, often referring to relics in Buddhism.
• Public-Private Partnership (PPP): A collaboration between a government agency and a private-sector company.
• Repatriation: The process of returning someone or something to their own country.