Cultural diplomacy: India to send Devnimori relics of Lord Buddha to Sri Lanka for exposition

A release from the Press Information Bureau stated, “This sacred journey underscores India’s enduring civilisational responsibility as the birthplace of Buddhism and reaffirms the deep spiritual, cultural and people-to-people bonds between India and Sri Lanka.”

The Holy Relics will be sent in a special aircraft from Vadodara to Colombo via Delhi.

“The Holy Relics will be accompanied by a high-level Indian delegation led by Acharya Devvrat, Governor of Gujarat, and Harsh Sanghavi, Deputy Chief Minister of Gujarat, along with senior monks and officials. In keeping with established protocol and the sanctity accorded to the Relics, they will travel with full state honours aboard a special aircraft of the Indian Air Force, reflecting the reverence with which India upholds its sacred heritage. The delegation will participate in ceremonial, religious and official engagements in Colombo, including the formal inauguration of the exposition and associated exhibitions highlighting India’s Buddhist legacy and its contemporary cultural engagements,” the statement said.

The Holy Relics will be enshrined for public veneration at Gangaramaya Temple in Colombo, one of the most iconic and spiritually significant Buddhist institutions in Sri Lanka.

“The Devnimori Relics originate from the Devnimori archaeological site, located near Shamlaji in the Aravalli district of Gujarat, a site of immense historical and spiritual significance. First explored in 1957 by eminent archaeologist Prof. S N Chowdhry, the excavations revealed important Buddhist structures and relics that stand testimony to the flourishing of Buddhism in western India during the early centuries of the Common Era,” the statement said.

“The relics represent not only a priceless archaeological treasure but also a living symbol of the timeless teachings of Lord Buddha—peace, compassion and harmony,” it said.

“Beyond its spiritual significance, the exposition of the Holy Devnimori Relics in Sri Lanka serves a vital diplomatic purpose by advancing India’s cultural diplomacy and reinforcing its people-centric foreign policy. By sharing its most sacred Buddhist heritage with Sri Lanka, India underscores the civilizational foundations of the bilateral relationship, anchored in shared faith, history and values,” the statement said.

“The exposition acts as a powerful instrument of soft power, fostering deeper people-to-people connections, enhancing mutual trust, and complementing formal diplomatic engagements with a profound cultural and emotional resonance. It reaffirms India’s role as a responsible custodian of global Buddhist heritage and strengthens regional harmony in the Indian Ocean neighbourhood, while reinforcing Sri Lanka’s place as a valued partner in India’s vision of peace, stability and cooperative coexistence in South Asia,” it added.

The relic

“The relic casket found within Devnimori Stupa at a height of 24 feet from the base, made out of green schist. It is inscribed in Brahmi Script and Sanskrit language. It reads: dashabala sharira nilaya (the abode of the Buddha’s bodily relic),” the PIB statement said. It holds a copper box containing organic material with holy ashes, silk cloth, and beads. The casket consists of three parts: the body, the lid, and a knob with a rounded top.

“In it was a copper box with a flat top and base, featuring a slip-on lid that fits onto a rim ledge. The box contained silk cloth, a gold-coated silver-copper bottle, organic material with holy ashes, and black clay used as a covering. The small amphora-like gold-coated bottle had a sagger base, a cylindrical body, and a narrow neck with a screw-type lid,” the release said.

The relics, along with the gold-coated silver-copper bottle and silk cloth, rest on a cotton base to ensure further preservation.

Spiritual outreach

The exposition in Sri Lanka builds upon India’s longstanding tradition of sharing its Buddhist heritage with the world. “In recent years, sacred relics of Lord Buddha have been successfully exhibited in countries such as Thailand, Mongolia, Vietnam, the Russian Federation and Bhutan, drawing millions of devotees and strengthening people-to-people connections,” a government release said.