The relics arrived in India on July 30, following the cancellation of their auction by Sotheby’s in Hong Kong in May 2025. The artifacts were removed from India approximately 127 years ago during the British colonial era. The Indian government repatriated the relics after issuing a legal notice to halt the sale.

A delegation of 35 officials and senior Buddhist monastics will accompany the relics to Kalmykia. The delegation will be led by Keshav Prasad Maurya, the deputy chief minister of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.

“The exhibition will further India’s cultural outreach and strengthen bilateral ties,” Maurya said. He stated that the display would underscore India’s role as the birthplace of Buddhism. A documentary on the relics will be screened at the museum in Elista.

The Republic of Kalmykia is a federal subject of the Russian Federation. It is located in southwestern Russia. It is the only region in Europe where Buddhism is the predominant religion. The exhibition is expected to draw scholars and devotees from multiple countries.


Piprahwa Relics, Mauryan Heritage

The artifacts include hundreds of pearls, sapphires, rubies, topaz, and gold fragments. The collection has been dated to the third century BCE, during the Mauryan Empire. They were unearthed in 1898 by British landowner William Claxton Peppe during excavations at Piprahwa. The site is in northern India, near the border with Nepal. Piprahwa is widely recognized as part of Kapilavastu, the childhood home of Siddhartha Gautama, who later became the Buddha.



Following their repatriation, the relics were received by India’s culture minister at the National Museum in New Delhi. The current loan to Kalmykia is part of a series of international exhibitions. The relics have previously been displayed in Thailand and Vietnam.

The event is organized by India’s Ministry of Culture in collaboration with the International Buddhist Confederation, the National Museum, and the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts. It will coincide with the Third International Buddhist Forum in Elista, which will run from September 24 to 28. The forum’s theme is “Buddhism in the New Millennium.”


Relics Enshrinement

During the forum, the relics will be enshrined at Geden Sheddup Choikorling, Kalmykia’s principal Buddhist monastery. The monastery is also known as the “Golden Abode of Shakyamuni Buddha.”



Keshav Prasad Maurya commented on the significance of the trip. “I have been given this privilege by Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” he said on Monday. He noted that the visit aligns with the prime minister’s statement that India has given the Buddha to the world. He said the event reflects growing spiritual and cultural ties with Russia.


Buddhism in Kalmykia

Kalmykia is one of three Buddhist republics within the Russian Federation. The other two are Tuva and Buryatia, which border Mongolia. The Kalmyk people are a Mongolic ethnic group. Tibetan Buddhism is the traditional religion among Kalmyks.

According to survey data from 2012, 47.6 percent of Kalmykia's population are Buddhist. 18 percent follow the Russian Orthodox Church. 4.8 percent are Muslim. 3 percent follow Tengrism or Kalmyk shamanism. The remainder of the population includes individuals classified as “other” or undeclared, those who are spiritual but not religious, atheists, and other Christians.

The loan of the Piprahwa relics represents a continuation of India’s cultural diplomacy. The government has stated the move aims to highlight shared Buddhist heritage and strengthen international relations.