New Delhi, June 11: In a special gesture, four holy relics of Lord Buddha are being flown from India to Mongolia for an 11-day exposition as part of celebrations of Mongolian Buddh Purnima falling on June 14.
Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju will lead a 25-member delegation to Mongolia carrying the sacred relics. The delegation will leave on Sunday by an Indian Air Force C-17 transport aircraft, the statement issued by the Union Ministry of Culture said on Saturday.
To be kept in special caskets, the relics will be displayed at the Batsagaan temple within the premises of the Gandan Monastery.
The Buddha relics, currently housed in the National Museum, are known as the ‘Kapilvastu Relics’ since they are from a site in Bihar discovered in 1898 and believed to be the ancient city of Kapilvastu.
Briefing reporters here about the visit, Rijiju said it is another historic milestone in India-Mongolia relations and will further boost cultural and spiritual relations between the two countries.
Recalling the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Mongolia in 2015, the Union minister said Modi was the first Indian PM to visit the East Asian country. Taking the relics to Mongolia is an extension of his vision to revive India’s relations with the countries with whom it has had cultural and spiritual ties for centuries.
“Mongolia and India look upon each other as spiritual and cultural neighbours and due to this commonality, Mongolia can also be said to be our ‘Third Neighbour’, even though we don’t share any common physical boundary,” he said.
The relics are being taken for an 11-day exposition as a special gift for the people of Mongolia, he added. (PTI)
