In a landmark event for cultural heritage, India has publicly displayed a priceless collection of ancient gems linked to Gautama Buddha for the first time since their removal during the British colonial era. The exhibition in New Delhi marks the end of a 127-year journey abroad for these sacred artifacts.
The Historic Return of Sacred Treasures
The Piprahwa gems, a trove of more than 300 precious stones and ornaments, were formally unveiled on Saturday. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the exhibition, calling it a "very special day for those passionate about history, culture and the ideals" of the Buddha. The Ministry of Culture stated this event marks the "reunification" of these relics, repatriated after more than a century.
Believed to have been buried alongside relics of the Buddha himself at a stupa site in northern India's Uttar Pradesh state, the collection's history is profound. The gems are thought to date back to approximately 200 BC. They were originally unearthed in 1898 by British colonial engineer William Claxton Peppe during excavations in Piprahwa.
A Global Journey and Controversial Sale
After their discovery, the fate of the treasures was scattered. While some relics and an inscribed casket confirming the contents as "relics of the Buddha" went to colonial authorities and the Indian Museum in Kolkata, Peppe retained a significant collection of the jewels. For over a century, these remained with his descendants.
The path to repatriation began in May 2025, when Peppe's great-grandson, Chris Peppe, placed the family-held gems up for auction. Sotheby's in Hong Kong listed them with a starting bid of $1.2 million, though experts estimated they could fetch ten times that amount.
The auction was halted following legal intervention by India's Ministry of Culture. The government declared the jewels the "inalienable religious and cultural heritage of India and the global Buddhist community." Subsequently, the Indian conglomerate Godrej Industries Group, in partnership with the government, purchased the collection. The final sale price was not disclosed.
Reclaiming Cultural and Spiritual Heritage
Pirojsha Godrej, vice-chairman of Godrej Industries, emphasized the collection's deeper significance, stating, "The Piprahwa gems are not just artefacts. They are timeless symbols of peace, compassion, and the shared heritage of humanity." Chris Peppe expressed his family's satisfaction that the public would now be able to view the gems.
The New Delhi exhibition is a comprehensive reunion, bringing together the recently returned jewels, pieces stored in Kolkata, and artifacts from later 1970s excavations at the site. This display is part of what the Culture Ministry describes as Prime Minister Modi's "broader mission to reclaim and celebrate Bharat’s ancient cultural and spiritual heritage from across the world." Modi has previously loaned parts of the collection for exhibitions in regions with significant Buddhist populations, like Bhutan and Russia's Kalmykia.
The Buddha, who renounced material wealth to preach a life of non-attachment, founded a faith followed by over 500 million people today. Born in present-day Nepal, he lived much of his life in northern India, making the return of these artifacts a moment of deep spiritual and historical resonance for the nation and the global Buddhist community.
