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Tsering Dhundup
DHARAMSHALA, July 31: A rare collection of sacred jewels linked to Buddha’s mortal remains has returned to India after 127 years, following diplomatic pressure, legal threats, and global condemnation of a planned auction by Sotheby’s.
Known as the Piprahwa Gems, the collection comprises nearly 300 rubies, sapphires, pearls, and gold relics unearthed in 1898 from a stupa in Piprahwa, located in present-day Uttar Pradesh near the near the Buddha’s birthplace in Lumbini. The excavation, conducted by British estate manager William Claxton Peppé, was recognized as one of the most astonishing archaeological finds of the modern era.
The relics, long held in private British ownership by Peppé’s descendants, were scheduled to be auctioned by Sotheby’s in Hong Kong this May, sparking criticism from...
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