New Delhi, October 30: The Ministry of Culture, in collaboration with the Government of Arunachal Pradesh, the International Buddhist Confederation and the National Museum, New Delhi, is organising an exposition of the Holy Relics of Shakyamuni Buddha in Arunachal Pradesh from October 31 to November 21, 2026, covering Tawang, Bomdila and Namsai, the ministry announced.

Source: PIB / Ministry of Culture via Tripura Star News

Union Minister of Culture and Tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat is scheduled to participate in the inaugural ceremony at the historic Gaden Namgyal Lhatse (Tawang Monastery) on October 31. A further inaugural function, with the opening of the associated exposition and exhibition, is scheduled for November 1 with Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu as chief guest. The occasion coincides with Lhabab Düchen, the Tibetan Buddhist festival commemorating the Buddha's descent from the heavenly realm.

The relics, presently preserved at the National Museum, began their journey with ceremonial observances at the museum on the night of October 30. They were taken to Air Force Station Palam and are scheduled to depart in the early hours of October 31 by a special Indian Air Force aircraft to Borjhar, Guwahati, and then by helicopter to Tawang, where the inaugural ceremony is scheduled between 10:00 AM and 11:30 AM.

22sacred bone relics found at Piprahwa
3Arunachal venues: Tawang, Bomdila, Namsai
Nov 21relics return to National Museum, Delhi

Darshan schedule

Public darshan runs at Tawang Monastery from November 1 to 7, moves to TGL Monastery (Lower Gompa), Bomdila, from November 8 to 13, and to the Golden Pagoda, Namsai, from November 14 to 20. The relics return to the National Museum on November 21 via Tezu and Palam. The International Buddhist Confederation will also hold an exhibition, "Unearthing the Sacred Piprahwa", at all three venues and an international conference on Buddhism in the Himalayan region at Tawang on November 2.

The Piprahwa discovery

The relics come from Piprahwa in present-day Siddharthnagar district, Uttar Pradesh, a site associated with ancient Kapilavastu. William Claxton Peppé excavated a stupa there in 1898, and Archaeological Survey of India excavations between 1971 and 1977 recovered two more reliquary caskets holding 22 sacred bone fragments in total — 20 preserved at the National Museum, New Delhi, and two at the Indian Museum, Kolkata. The Piprahwa jewel collection linked to the 1898 discovery returned to India in 2025 after about 127 years, the ministry noted. Chief Minister Khandu reviewed the exposition preparations on October 22, PTI reported.

Source: PTI via Nagaland Post