07-05-2025
Auction of Buddha relics in Hong Kong postponed: Culture ministry
New Delhi: The auction of the Piprahwa relics, linked to Lord Buddha and originally scheduled for May 7 by Sotheby's Hong Kong, has been postponed, a statement issued the ministry of culture said on Wednesday. Classified as 'AA' antiquities under Indian law, the relics are prohibited from sale or export. (The Piprawha Project)
Sotheby's Hong Kong informed the ministry via email late on Tuesday that the auction would be postponed, and proposed further discussions on the matter. The auction page was subsequently removed from the Sotheby's website.
The ministry, in collaboration with the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and the external affairs ministry (MEA), said it will advance discussions with the relevant stakeholders on the repatriation of the relics to India.
The artifacts, excavated in 1898 from the Piprahwa Stupa in Uttar Pradesh, include bone fragments of the Buddha, soapstone and crystal caskets, a sandstone coffer, and gold ornaments and gemstones. An inscription in Brahmi script on one of the caskets confirmed that the relics of the Buddha were deposited by the Sakya clan.
Also Read:Bone fragments, caskets: Culture ministry moves to block auction of Buddha relics in Hong Kong
Director general of ASI Yadubir Singh Rawat wrote to Hong Kong's consulate general on May 2, requesting immediate cessation of the auction. On the same day, culture minister Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat emphasised the relics' significance and sought repatriation efforts during a bilateral meeting with UK culture secretary Lisa Nandy. A high-level meeting on May 5 outlined further steps, including engagement by the MEA with embassies in the UK and Hong Kong.
The legal notice that the Indian government issued to Sotheby's Hong Kong and Chris Peppé, descendant of British colonial excavator William Claxton Peppé, called the sale a 'violation of Indian law, international conventions, and the sanctity of Buddhist heritage,' demanding immediate cancellation and repatriation.
Also Read:Which relics of Buddha were returned to the Dalai Lama in Dharamshala?
The notice asserts the relics are 'inalienable religious and cultural heritage' protected under India's Antiquities and Art Treasures Act (1972), which designates them as 'AA'-grade antiquities. It clarifies that while some relics were transferred to Kolkata's Indian Museum in 1899 and others gifted to the King of Siam, the Peppé family retained items erroneously labeled as 'duplicate jewels' under temporary custodianship.
Acknowledging the legal notice, Sotheby's responded on May 5 saying that the matter is under consideration. 'We will submit a written reply after further review,' Sotheby's said in an email.
The culture ministry's efforts were supported by various stakeholders including the Permanent Representative of India to UNESCO, Krista Pikkat, director of UNESCO and Buddhist organisations from India and Sri Lanka.
