The Indian government is taking urgent steps to prevent the auction of sacred Buddhist relics that were excavated in India in 1898. The relics, which include bone fragments, soapstone and crystal caskets, a sandstone coffer, gold ornaments, and gemstones, were discovered at the Piprahwa Stupa in Uttar Pradesh, a site widely recognized as the ancient city of Kapilavastu, the birthplace of Lord Buddha. The auction, scheduled to take place in Hong Kong on May 7, 2025, by Sotheby's, has triggered strong reactions from the Indian government and Buddhist organizations.
The Ministry of Culture has issued a legal notice to Sotheby's Hong Kong, demanding the immediate cessation of the auction and the repatriation of the relics to India. The ministry argues that the sale violates Indian and international laws, as well as United Nations conventions. They assert that the relics are an inseparable part of India's religious and cultural heritage and should be treated as the sacred body of the Buddha, deserving of religious veneration, not as archaeological specimens. The ministry has accused the auction house of "participating in continued colonial exploitation".
According to the Ministry of Culture, the relics, referred to as "duplicate jewels," constitute an inalienable religious and cultural heritage of India and the global Buddhist community. The majority of the relics were transferred to the Indian Museum in Kolkata in 1899 and have since been designated 'AA' antiquities under Indian law, making their sale or export prohibited. While a portion of the bone relics was gifted to the King of Siam (now Thailand), a selection retained by the descendants of William Claxton Peppé, the British colonial officer who unearthed the relics, has now been listed for auction.
In addition to the legal notice, the Ministry of Culture has requested the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to take up the matter with the Consulate General of Hong Kong, demanding the immediate cessation of the auction. Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat raised the issue with Lisa Nandy, the UK's Secretary of State for Culture, during a bilateral meeting on May 2, emphasizing the cultural and religious significance of the relics and urging immediate action to halt the auction and facilitate their repatriation. On May 5, Culture Secretary Vivek Agarwal convened a high-level review meeting to outline further steps, including engaging the Ministry of External Affairs with embassies in the United Kingdom and Hong Kong to ensure the auction is stopped. The Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) will also collaborate with its Hong Kong counterpart to underline the illegality of the auction.
Sotheby's has responded to the legal notice, assuring that "full attention" is being given to the matter. The Indian government is demanding that Sotheby's immediately cancel the auction, repatriate the relics through diplomatic channels, issue a public apology, and disclose all provenance documents and details of relics held by the Peppé family. The ministry has also threatened legal action in Indian and Hong Kong courts and through international bodies and pledged to launch a public campaign against Sotheby's role in "perpetuating colonial injustice".
