Tawang Monastery
New Delhi: The sacred relics of Lord Buddha will be displayed for public veneration at three locations in Arunachal Pradesh from October 31 to November 21, International Buddhist Confederation said on Friday.
The Union minister of culture and tourism, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, will take part in the inaugural ceremony at Tawang on Saturday.
The Piprahwa relics, which are kept at the National Museum in New Delhi, will be taken to Tawang, Bomdila and Namsai. The three-week exposition is meant to reflect the deep Buddhist traditions of Arunachal Pradesh, where monastic life and Buddhist practice remain central to community life in many districts.
Transport by Air Force
Special Indian Air Force (IAF) aircraft and helicopters have been arranged to carry the relics to the three sites. Officials said the arrangements are aimed at ensuring safe and dignified transportation of the relics, given their religious and historical significance and the terrain of the Himalayan state.
Exhibition on Piprahwa discovery
An exhibition on the discovery and repatriation of the Piprahwa heritage will accompany the exposition at all three locations. It is expected to give visitors the history behind the relics along with the opportunity to pay homage. The Piprahwa finds were unearthed in 1898 at the site in Uttar Pradesh’s Siddharthnagar district.
International conference
The programme also includes an international conference on “Buddhism: Dissemination in the Himalayan Region and Beyond”. It will bring together monks, scholars and delegates from India and six other countries to discuss how Buddhism spread across the Himalayan region and beyond.
Schedule of the exposition
The relics will be on view at each location for about a week:
Tawang: November 1 to 7, at Tawang Monastery (Gaden Namgyal Lhatse)
Bomdila: November 8 to 13, at Thubchog Gatsel Ling Monastery
Namsai: November 14 to 20, at the Golden Pagoda (Kongmu Kham)
