Archive · 10 Jan 2026
Buddha’s relics return to India
A long time ago, in 1898, a man named William Claxton Peppé found some special gems and bones in a place called Piprahwa in India.
These were believed to be the relics of the Buddha.
Some of these relics were kept by Peppé's family and later put up for sale in an auction in Hong Kong in 2025.
A professor named Naman Ahuja and his former student Soheb Wahab found out about the auction and told the Indian government.
The government worked hard to stop the auction and bring the relics back to India.
A kind Indian businessman named Pirojsha Godrej helped buy the relics and bring them back.
Now, the relics are being shown in a special place in Delhi called Qila Rai Pithora.
Buddha’s relics, discovered in 1898 in Piprahwa, Uttar Pradesh, were put up for auction by Sotheby’s Hong Kong in 2025.
Professor Naman Ahuja and Soheb Wahab alerted the Indian government about the auction, leading to diplomatic efforts to stop it.
The auction was postponed after intense pressure from the Indian government, including legal notices and diplomatic interventions.
Indian philanthropist Pirojsha Godrej facilitated the repatriation of the relics, which were brought back to India in July 2025.
The relics are now on display at Qila Rai Pithora, a 12th-century monument in Delhi, along with other relics from the 1898 excavation.
- Who
- William Claxton Peppé (discoverer), Soheb Wahab (alerted authorities), Naman Ahuja (Professor, JNU), Pirojsha Godrej (philanthropist), Sotheby’s Hong Kong (auction house)
- What
- Return of Buddha’s relics from Hong Kong to India
- When
- Discovered in 1898, auction scheduled for May 7, 2025, repatriated in July 2025
- Where
- Piprahwa, Uttar Pradesh (discovery), Hong Kong (auction), Delhi (current exhibition)
- Why
- To prevent the sale of sacred relics and repatriate them to India
- Discovery Year
- 1898
- Discovery Location
- Piprahwa, Uttar Pradesh
- Discoverer
- William Claxton Peppé
- Auction House
- Sotheby’s Hong Kong
- Auction Date
- May 7, 2025 (postponed)
- Repatriation Date
- July 2025
- Current Exhibition Location
- Qila Rai Pithora, Delhi
- Philanthropist Involved
- Pirojsha Godrej