The Ministry of Culture, Government of India, has successfully secured the postponement of the auction of the sacred Piprahwa Buddhist relics by Sotheby’s Hong Kong, which was scheduled for May 7, 2025.
The Piprahwa Relics, comprising bone fragments of the Historical Buddha, along with soapstone and crystal caskets, a sandstone coffer, and offerings such as gold ornaments and gemstones, were excavated in 1898 by William Claxton Peppé. An inscription in Brahmi script on one of the caskets confirms these as relics of the Buddha, deposited by the Sakya clan. The majority of these relics were transferred to the Indian Museum, Kolkata, in 1899 and are classified as ‘AA’ antiquities under Indian law, prohibiting their removal or sale. A portion of the bone relics was gifted to the King of Siam, while a selection of funerary gems retained by W.C. Peppé’s great-grandson, Chris Peppé, was listed for auction.
Upon learning of the auction through media reports, the Ministry of Culture immediately initiated the following actions:
- On May 2, 2025, the Director General of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) wrote to the Consulate General of Hong Kong, requesting the immediate cessation of the auction.
- During a bilateral meeting on the same day, Culture Minister Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat raised the matter with Rt Hon Lisa Nandy, UK Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, emphasizing the relics’ cultural and religious significance and urging immediate action.
- On May 5, 2025, the Secretary, Ministry of Culture, convened a review meeting to discuss next steps.
- A legal notice was issued to Sotheby’s (through representatives Ms. Ivy Wong and Julian King) and Chris Peppé on the same day, demanding the auction’s halt.
- The Ministry of External Affairs was requested to follow up through its Europe West and East Asia Divisions with embassies in the UK and Hong Kong to ensure the auction’s stoppage.
On May 5, 2025, Sotheby’s Hong Kong acknowledged the legal notice via email, assuring that the matter was under consideration and a written reply would be submitted.
On May 6, 2025, a high-level delegation led by the Secretary, Ministry of Culture, including the Joint Secretary (East Asia Division, MEA) and the Consul General of India to Hong Kong, held discussions with Sotheby’s representatives. The delegation highlighted that the relics were not ordinary artifacts but held sacred significance for millions of Buddhists worldwide. It was further emphasized that the relics rightfully belong to India, from where they were taken during the colonial era.
Late on May 6, 2025, Sotheby’s Hong Kong informed via email that the auction of the Piprahwa relics was being postponed and proposed further discussions. The auction page was subsequently removed from Sotheby’s website.
The Ministry’s efforts were supported by – The Permanent Representative of India to UNESCO, Krista Pikkat, Director, UNESCO, Buddhist organizations from India, Sri Lanka, and other countries, Prof. Naman Ahuja, who filed a representation with the Prime Minister’s portal and national and international media.
The Ministry of Culture, in collaboration with the ASI and MEA, will now engage all stakeholders to advance discussions on the repatriation of the relics to India.
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Sunil Kumar Tiwari
