Bangkok [Thailand]: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on Thursday that India will send sacred relics of Lord Buddha, discovered in Gujarat’s Aravalli in the 1960s, to Thailand, allowing devotees to offer their prayers.
Speaking alongside his Thai counterpart, PM Paetongtarn Shinawatra, in Bangkok, PM Modi highlighted the deep-rooted cultural ties between the two nations. He recalled a similar event last year when India sent Lord Buddha’s relics to Thailand, drawing millions of devotees.
“Last year, holy relics of Lord Buddha were sent from India to Thailand. It is a matter of great joy that over 4 million devotees received the opportunity to have a darshan,” PM Modi stated.
In 2024, sacred relics of Lord Buddha, along with those of his disciples Arahata Sariputta and Arahata Maha Moggallana, were transported from India and exhibited in four cities across Thailand between February 22 and March 18.
Typically preserved in the National Museum in New Delhi, these relics are rarely taken outside India for public display. Ambassador Nagesh Singh, in an op-ed published by the Embassy of India in Thailand, noted that this was the first recorded instance of the relics of Buddha, Sariputta, and Maha Moggallana from Sanchi being enshrined together.
Announcing the latest development, PM Modi said, “I am happy to announce that the holy relics of Lord Buddha, which were found in Gujarat’s Aravalli in 1960, will also be sent to Thailand for darshan.”
According to Gujarat Tourism, these relics were discovered at Devni Mori, an archaeological site containing the remains of a Buddhist monastery dating back to the 3rd-4th century AD.
“Excavation of the stupa brought to light an inscribed casket which contained relics of Buddha. The inscription clearly mentions that the casket contains bodily relics of Buddha,” the official website states.
A previous display of Buddha’s relics in Thailand occurred in 1995-96 to mark the 50th anniversary of King Rama IX’s ascension to the throne. Meanwhile, the relics of Arahata Sariputta and Arahata Maha Moggallana were repatriated to India in 1952 by Syama Prasad Mookerjee, then-President of the Maha Bodhi Society, after being recovered from England post-India’s independence.
PM Modi also emphasized the enduring spiritual ties between India and Thailand, citing the recent Mahakumbh gathering.
“Our ancient ties were also seen in India during the Mahakumbh. More than 600 Buddhist devotees from Thailand and several other countries became a part of this spiritual and cultural gathering. Mahakumbh gave a message of world peace…”
PM Modi is in Thailand to attend the sixth BIMSTEC Summit, scheduled for Friday. The summit serves as an essential platform for regional cooperation among BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) member nations.