Around 31,000 devotees and visitors paid homage to the sacred relics of Shakyamuni Buddha during their stay at Tawang Monastery, as the rare exposition moves on to Bomdila in West Kameng district.
The relics, which originate from the ancient Piprahwa Stupa in present-day Siddharthnagar district of Uttar Pradesh, are preserved at the National Museum in New Delhi. Piprahwa is widely associated with ancient Kapilavastu, the homeland of the Shakya clan to which the Buddha belonged.
A three-centre exposition across Arunachal
The exposition is organised by the Union Ministry of Culture in collaboration with the Government of Arunachal Pradesh, the International Buddhist Confederation and the National Museum. It covers three important centres of Buddhist faith and heritage in the state.
The relics were ceremonially received at the historic Gaden Namgyal Lhatse, better known as Tawang Monastery, by Chief Minister Pema Khandu in the presence of Union Minister of Culture and Tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Buddhist monks and devotees. The occasion coincided with Lhabab Düchen, a significant festival in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition marking the Buddha’s descent from the heavenly realm.
Now on display in Bomdila
After the Tawang leg, the relics travelled by helicopter and road to Bomdila, where they are on public display at the TGL Monastery, also called the Lower Gompa, following a ceremonial reception at the Upper Gompa. The final leg of the exposition takes the relics to the Golden Pagoda in Namsai, before they return to the National Museum in New Delhi.
An accompanying exhibition by the International Buddhist Confederation, titled “Unearthing the Sacred Piprahwa: The Story of the Holy Buddha Relics and Their Discovery”, traces the discovery of the relics in 1898 and their significance in Buddhist history. A second exhibition curated by the National Museum looks at Buddhist art, classical traditions and anthropology.
The exposition opened at Tawang Monastery with the relics travelling onward to Bomdila and Namsai, while a dedicated Buddhist circuit scheme for six Northeastern states was announced in the Union Budget. For devotees across the region, the journey of the relics through Tawang, Bomdila and Namsai is a rare chance to pay homage close to home.
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