The Tamesis
The Indian government has unveiled a collection of artifacts related to the Buddha that were originally shipped back to India after being auctioned at Sotheby’s last year.
This is the first time in more than a century that these artifacts, known as Piplava artefacts, have returned to India. Some date back to the sixth century BC.
Dozens of such artefacts are on display at an exhibition that opened at Delhi’s Rai Pithora Cultural Center over the weekend. The exhibition, titled “Light and Lotus: Relics of the Awakened One,” features dozens of manuscripts, ritual objects and more, including some on loan from the Indian Museum in Kolkata.
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An exhibition description provided by the Indian government states that the artifacts were discovered during two major excavations at the Pipulachwar archaeological site: one in 1898 and another between 1971 and 1975. The 1898 excavations were carried out on land claimed at the time by the British estate manager William Claxton Peppé.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the opening of the exhibition on the 10th a “very special day.”
Some of the gems included in the exhibition were originally slated to be auctioned by Sotheby’s last May. Prior to the sale, the Indian government claimed that Chris Peppé, the grandson of William Claxton Peppé, did not have the authority to sell the gems. Additionally, the city of New Delhi said Sotheby’s was “participating in ongoing colonial exploitation” by agreeing to sell the gems.
Sotheby’s subsequently postponed the sale and canceled it entirely in July. The auction house said the decision was made with the “consent of the consignor” and that it had sought to “find the best possible conservator for the gemstone”.
At the unveiling ceremony of the exhibition on Saturday, Modi said that this exhibition is a very important moment for India. “This shared legacy of Lord Buddha is proof that India is not only connected through politics, diplomacy and economics, but also through deeper ties,” he said, according to The Times of India. hinduism. “We are connected through thoughts and emotions, faith and spirituality. India is not only the custodian of the sacred relics of the Buddha but also the living carrier of his legacy.”
His government has been heavily criticized in India and abroad for weaponizing archaeological finds to support Hindu nationalism. In doing so, he continually sought to situate Indian cultural history as rooted in Hinduism to the exclusion of other religions.
“These sacred relics of Buddha are India’s heritage,” Modi said this weekend. “After a century of waiting, they returned to their motherland… This exhibition is a great medium to connect our past glory and future dreams. I call on people across the country to participate in this exhibition.”
