The sacred relics of Lord Buddha, currently housed at the National Museum in New Delhi, will be taken to Bhutan for public exposition from November 8 to 18 as part of the Global Peace Prayer Festival (GPPF) in Thimphu. The event coincides with the 70th birth anniversary of Bhutan’s fourth king, Jigme Singye Wangchuk.
A delegation led by Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Dr. Virendra Kumar, along with senior monks and officials, will accompany the relics. This marks the second time the relics will be displayed in Bhutan, the first being in 2011 during the wedding celebrations of King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck.
The relics will be placed for public viewing at the Kuenrey Hall of Tashichho Dzong, an important administrative and monastic centre in the Bhutanese capital. Bhutan’s Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay, speaking during the GPPF, thanked the Indian government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for facilitating the visit of sacred relics and highlighted the significance of the festival as an initiative conceived by the king to promote peace.
This historic visit, a collaborative effort between the Ministry of Culture, Government of India, and the International Buddhist Confederation (IBC), marks the second time these sacred relics have been to Bhutan. The first was in 2011 on the celebration of the wedding of the King, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck. These will focus on the life of Guru Padmasambhava, the excavation and history of Buddha relics, and the life and teachings of the Buddha. The National Museum of India will also display select sculptures from its Buddhist Art and Heritage Gallery.
Buddhism has long been central to Bhutan’s cultural identity, shaping its religious institutions, heritage sites and development philosophy, including the principle of Gross National Happiness. The exposition reflects the shared Buddhist heritage between India and Bhutan and follows similar relic exhibitions organised by India in Mongolia, Thailand, Vietnam and Russia’s Kalmykia region.