ITANAGAR, November 6 (Aalimi Nation) – More than 21,000 devotees have so far paid homage to the sacred relics of Shakyamuni Buddha at Tawang Monastery in Arunachal Pradesh, the Ministry of Culture said on Friday. The exposition, which is open to the public, runs at the monastery until November 7 before moving on to other parts of the state.

The relics, which are bone fragments attributed to the Buddha, are kept at the National Museum in New Delhi. They were excavated in 1898 from an ancient stupa at Piprahwa in Uttar Pradesh, a site associated with ancient Kapilavastu. Their visit to Arunachal Pradesh is the first in 13 years, according to the organisers.

Chief Minister Pema Khandu received the relics on October 31 in the presence of Union Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Buddhist monks and religious leaders. They were taken to Tawang by an Indian Air Force helicopter and welcomed with a traditional religious reception at Gaden Namgyal Lhatse, as Tawang Monastery is formally known.

The exposition is being organised by the Ministry of Culture, the International Buddhist Confederation, the National Museum and the Arunachal Pradesh government. Two exhibitions are on display. One, put together by the Confederation, traces the discovery of the Piprahwa relics. The other, curated by the National Museum, looks at the history, art and culture of Buddhism.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a message for the occasion, described the return of the relics as a significant homecoming and a matter of national pride. He pointed to India's work on pilgrimage infrastructure at Bodh Gaya, Sarnath and Kushinagar, and to the recognition of Pali as a classical language.

The 14th Dalai Lama, in a message shared at the inauguration, said that paying homage to the relics builds positive merit and encourages deeper study of Buddhism. He said: "If you can, help others; if you cannot, at least refrain from harming them."

Khandu said the Buddha's teachings were especially relevant at a time of global tension, and urged Buddhists to practise them in daily life. He also announced the formation of the Arunachal Buddhist Confederation, an umbrella body meant to bring together the state's Mahayana communities, found in areas such as Tawang and West Kameng, and its Theravada communities in Namsai and Changlang. Its first president is the chief monk of the Namsai Pariyatti Sasana Buddhist Vihara. The body intends to seek affiliation with the International Buddhist Confederation.

According to the ministry, the relics will be displayed at the Lower Gompa of TGL Monastery in Bomdila from November 8 to 13, and at the Golden Pagoda in Namsai from November 14 to 20. They are due to return to the National Museum on November 21. The organisers have said the tour is intended to link the Mahayana communities of western Arunachal Pradesh with the Theravada tradition in the east, and to promote India's Buddhist heritage and the Buddha's message of peace and compassion.

Some published schedules differ by a day on the dates for West Kameng and Namsai; the dates above are those in the ministry's release.