Kiren Rijiju-led team to carry Buddha relics to Mongolia

The sacred relics will be taken to Mongolia by Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju in a special casket and will be on display at a monastery for 11 days

Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju. File | Photo Credit: PTI

Law Minister Kiren Rijiju will lead a 25-member delegation to Mongolia carrying Lord Buddha's relics to mark the Mongolian 'Buddha Day' on June 14.

The sacred relics will be taken by an Indian Air Force C17 Globemaster transport aircraft in a special casket and will be on display at a monastery for 11 days.

बुद्धं शरणं गच्छामि : मैं बुद्ध की शरण लेता हूँ।

धम्मं शरणं गच्छामि : मैं धर्म की शरण लेता हूँ।

संघं शरणं गच्छामि : मैं संघ की शरण लेता हूँ। https://t.co/Q5EFwauBtJ

— Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) June 11, 2022

Special request

Rijiju told reporters here that the 'Kapilavastu' have "AA stature" and are not moved out of the National Museum here. But on the special request of the Mongolian government, New Delhi decided to send these for exposition. Initially, they were to be displayed for a week, but on request, the display time has been extended to 11 days.

Singer Mohit Chauhan, Cultural Envoy of Mongolia to India, will be part of the delegation, the minister said.

The Kapilavastu relics are believed to contain Gautam Buddha's remains. The relics were found during excavations at Piprahwa in present-day Bihar.