Overview

• Government of India issued legal notices to Sotheby’s Hong Kong and Chris Peppé to halt the May auction citing national antiquities laws and UNESCO conventions.
• Godrej Industries Group acquired a collection of gems and ornaments believed to contain Buddha’s bone fragments to facilitate repatriation.
• Union Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat received the relics at Delhi airport before their formal unveiling.
• The relics are now enshrined at the Piprahwa Buddha Temple in Uttar Pradesh and placed on loan at the National Museum in Delhi for public exhibition.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the return as a joyous milestone for India’s cultural heritage and underscored the nation’s resolve to protect its spiritual legacy.