NEW DELHI: The holy relics of Lord Buddha’s two chief disciples, Arhant Sariputra and Arhant Maudgalyayana, returned to India on Wednesday following the successful conclusion of a 10-day exposition at the Gandan Tegchenling Monastery in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
The exposition, held from May 31 to June 9, was organised by the National Museum of India under the Ministry of Culture in association with the Government of Madhya Pradesh, the Mahabodhi Society of Sri Lanka and the International Buddhist Confederation (IBC), following a request from the Gandan Tegchenling Monastery.
The exposition was opened to the public on May 31, coinciding with the observance of Buddha Purnima in Mongolia.
The sacred relics were ceremonially handed over on May 30 by Assam Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya to Mongolia’s Minister of Education, Enkh-Amgalan, and His Eminence Ven. Khamba Nomun Khan Geshe Lharampa D. Javzandorj of the Gandan Tegchenling Monastery.
The exposition had been announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the state visit of Mongolian President Khurelsukh Ukhnaa to India in October 2025. The initiative was aimed at strengthening the deep civilisational and spiritual ties shared by India and Mongolia through Buddhism.
According to official estimates, around one lakh devotees from across Mongolia visited the monastery during the 10-day exposition to pay homage to the relics. Mongolia has a population of approximately 3.4 million.
Officials noted that these sacred relics have so far been sent abroad only to Thailand and Mongolia. An earlier exposition of Lord Buddha’s relics in Mongolia in June 2022 had also witnessed an overwhelming response.
On the sidelines of the exposition, the National Museum of India and the International Buddhist Confederation organised three special exhibitions on Buddhism. These included “Sariputta and Moggallana – A Journey of Wisdom, Devotion and Relics,” “From India to Mongolia: The Transmission of Buddha Dhamma Across Inner Asia,” and “Vessels of Light: Iconography, Relics and Path of Dhamma.”
The relics, which enjoy the status of a Head of State in terms of protocol and security, were transported to Mongolia on May 30 aboard an Indian Air Force special flight accompanied by an Indian delegation led by Assam Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya.
Following the conclusion of the exposition, the relics were brought back to India on an Indian Air Force special flight accompanied by a delegation led by Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh Vinai Kumar Saxena.
The Government of Mongolia extended full support for the exposition, while the Gandan Tegchenling Monastery supervised all religious aspects of the event in accordance with the revered status of the relics.
At the closing ceremony, religious leaders and dignitaries, including His Eminence Ven. Khamba Nomun Khan Geshe Lharampa D. Javzandorj, Education Minister Enkh-Amgalan, Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena, Mahabodhi Society of Sri Lanka President Ven. Banagala Upatissa Thero and International Buddhist Confederation Secretary General Shartse Khensur Rinpoche Jangchup Choeden, expressed gratitude to the Government of India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for facilitating the exposition.
Before the relics departed for India, they were ceremonially handed over by the Mongolian authorities and monastery representatives to Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena.
At the airport, Ambassador of India to Mongolia Atul Malhari Gotsurve presented a Mongolian plant sapling to the Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh. The sapling will be planted in Ladakh as a symbol of the enduring friendship and spiritual bond between India and Mongolia.
Officials said the exposition further strengthened the centuries-old cultural, spiritual and civilisational ties between the two countries and reaffirmed the shared Buddhist heritage that continues to connect India and Mongolia.
