Overview

• India's Ministry of Culture served a legal notice to Sotheby’s Hong Kong, calling for the immediate cancellation of the auction scheduled for May 7, 2025, and the repatriation of the relics.
• The relics, excavated in 1898 from the Piprahwa stupa in Uttar Pradesh, include 1,800 jewels and bone fragments linked to the Buddha and are classified as 'AA' antiquities under Indian law, prohibiting their sale or export.
• Sotheby’s Hong Kong has acknowledged receipt of the legal notice, with Associate General Counsel Ivy Wong assuring that the matter is receiving full attention; however, the auction listing remains active.
• India has mobilized diplomatic channels, including the Archaeological Survey of India and Financial Investigation Unit, to engage with Hong Kong authorities and enforce international heritage laws like the UNESCO 1970 and UNIDROIT 1995 conventions.
• The sale has drawn criticism from Buddhist leaders, historians, and Indian officials, who describe it as unethical and a perpetuation of colonial exploitation, emphasizing the relics’ sacred and cultural significance.