Syllabus:
GS1: Indian Culture – Salient aspects of Art Forms, Literature and Architecture from ancient to modern times.
Context:
Recently, the Ministry of Culture of India successfully halted the auction of the revered Piprahwa Buddhist relics at Sotheby’s Hong Kong and further seeks their return to India.
More on the News:
- The cancellation comes in rapid response to the Indian government action, highlighting preservation and respect of ancient heritage bearing profound spiritual depth.
- The Ministry collected detailed background information on the auction and issued a legal notice to Sotheby’s Hong Kong to stop the auction immediately.
- The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) also requested the Indian Consulate in Hong Kong to speak to local authorities and demand that the auction be stopped immediately.
- The issue was brought up at the diplomatic level with the United Kingdom, which highlighted the religious and cultural sensitivity involved with the relics and why prompt action was needed.
- Also, the Financial Investigation Unit (FIU) has been asked to coordinate with its counterpart in Hong Kong to highlight the illegality of the auction and ensure compliance with international laws.
About Piprahwa Relics
- The Piprahwa relics artefacts were discovered in Piprahwa, a village in Uttar Pradesh’s Siddharthnagar district, just a few kilometres from Lumbini, Nepal—the birthplace of Lord Buddha.
- They date back to the Mauryan Empire, circa 240 to 200 BC.
- They have been described by Sotheby’s as one of the most astonishing archaeological finds of the modern era with unparalleled religious, archaeological and historical importance.
- It consists of consist of bone remains thought to be those the Buddha himself who died in 480BC, as well as thousands of pearls, rubies, topazes, sapphires and patterned gold worked into jewels and maintained in their natural forms.
- These relics, excavated from the Piprahwa Stupa—widely recognized as the ancient city of Kapilavastu, the birthplace of Lord Buddha.
- The artifacts were found in 1898 on an excavation by British estate owner William Claxton Peppé.
- Among the most important discoveries was a reliquary with an ancient Brahmi inscription crediting the relics to the Buddha and declaring that they were deposited by the Sakya clan, i.e. Buddha’s own family lineage.
- While most of the relics were transferred to the Indian Museum, Kolkata in 1899, some were retained by the descendants of British excavator William Claxton Peppe and have now appeared in the auction market.