Ladakh is hosting a two-week-long sacred exposition of the holy relics of Lord Buddha on the banks of the Indus. It commences on the auspicious occasion of Buddh Purnima on May 1. An air of anticipation, exuberance and sacred devotion surrounds the ancient town of Leh, which wears a festive look. Multicoloured prayer flags fluttering in the cold breeze wave a message of peace. The monks of Ladakh have been offering special prayers in the week leading up to the arrival of the relics. For the Buddhists of Ladakh, who make up nearly half the population, this is indeed a momentous occasion.
The Piprahwa relics have earlier travelled to Buddhist countries around the world. They are being hosted in India for the first time for public veneration by the Ministry of Culture. An exposition in Ladakh sends out a clear message. India is the land of the Buddha and Ladakh is central to Buddhist monastic traditions. Ladakh has always been a crucible of ideas, cultures and sacred traditions.
The Piprahwa relics have an extraordinary history. A British engineer, William Claxton Peppé, was curious about a nondescript mound on his estate in Piprahwa. Underneath the mound, he unearthed the Buddha’s mortal remains and an assortment of precious gems and stones. The discovery sent ripples across the Buddhist world. Peppé investigated an earth knoll, later christened as the Piprahwa Stupa, on his Birdpur estate. After cutting through 18 feet of red-brick work, he unearthed a large sandstone casket with five reliquary urns. One of the vases stood out for its Brahmi inscription ascribing its contents to Buddha of the Sakya Clan. It read: “This shrine for relics of the Buddha, the August One, is that of the Sakyas, the brethren of the Distinguished One, in association with their sisters, and with their children and their wives.”
British India handed over much of the exquisite collection to the Indian Museum (Kolkata), while the bones and ashes were gifted to King Rama V of Thailand. Peppé was allowed to keep a fifth of the gems and stones. In 2025, his descendants decided to auction their share of the Piprahwa relics at Sotheby’s in Hong Kong, causing an international outcry. After intense negotiations, India successfully brought them back to their country of origin, setting a landmark precedent for colonial-era antiquities, sparking a debate around reparations.
The tradition of relic veneration became central to Buddhism following the Buddha’s Mahaparinirvana (final passing away) at Kushinagar circa 489 BCE. His remains were divided among the powerful kings of the period. They, in turn, enshrined their share in eight stupas in their respective domains. After two and a half centuries, Emperor Ashoka opened the original stupas and redistributed the relics across his vast domain. The construction of numerous stupas, consecrated with the Buddha’s remains, led to the establishment of monasteries, temples and communities. Ashoka also sent missionaries around the world, making Buddhism a global phenomenon. The relic tradition grew to such an extent that “…from Kandy to Kyoto, there was hardly a Buddhist site that did not enshrine some physical remains of the Buddha, some object that once belonged to him, some trace of his presence enlivened by association with his body, his teachings, or his community. Simply put, Buddha relics, broadly defined, were “everywhere”.
The relics are also believed to regenerate themselves.
Ladakh is dotted with ancient monasteries which date back to the 10th century. A stupa in Tiri village of Leh is ascribed to the Mauryan era. The Sani Stupa in the Zanskar Valley is associated with King Kanishka I of the Kushana dynasty. Archaeological evidence, including rock carvings and inscriptions in Kharosthi and Brahmi, provides important insights about early Buddhism. Mostly found along the banks of the Indus and Shayok rivers, the petroglyphs, depicting stupas, Bodhisattvas (such as the famed 7th-century Maitreya Buddha in Mulbekh in Kargil), and other Buddhist iconographies, trace the presence of Buddhism to ancient times.
Stupas gradually became aesthetic, architectural and spiritual emblems of Buddhist geography, landscape and communities, embodying the mind aspect of the Awakened One. For centuries, stupas have been erected in Ladakh. Historically, kings of the region established them as memorials for their ancestors, and to mark victories over enemies, or as totems against natural disasters. In the modern era, the monastic traditions live on.
The journey of the Piprahwa relics to Ladakh marks the living presence of the Tathagata, underscoring the long tradition of relic worship. It has brought 2,500 years of ancient Buddhism to a full circle. The event comes at an important historical juncture for a land that has nurtured and preserved Buddhism over centuries. Devotees and visitors will be able to venerate the Enlightened One, and pay their respects. More importantly, it is an occasion to reflect on his message of impermanence of life, of following the middle path, and peace and universal brotherhood. The Awakened One’s relics will reinvigorate Ladakh, inspiring local people on a path of devotion. In these tumultuous times, a sobering reminder of the Buddha’s eternal message of peace and compassion, from the highlands of Ladakh, is only befitting.
The Piprahwa relics will bestow blessings, promote peace and prosperity in this unique Trans-Himalayan region. It will also pave the way towards positioning Ladakh as a pre-eminent destination of spiritual tourism.
Kundra is Chief Secretary of the Union Territory of Ladakh and Gyalpo is an independent scholar and writer based in Leh. Views are personal
