Just the mere act of entering the Piprahwa Buddha Relics International Exhibition, is like stepping from one world to another.
Outside, just a few metres away, insane, noisy, honking traffic.
Inside, peace and tranquility.
This recently inaugurated exhibition (which is in Delhi for 6 months) is an absolute joy.
It tells the extraordinary story of the relics of Lord Buddha that were excavated in 1898 in Piprahwa (now in northern Uttar Pradesh) by W.C.Peppé, a British engineer, born in India and working there. I’m sharing a link to Wikipedia here for the background info to this amazing saga.
But as far as this exhibition is concerned, the main facts are that in 2025 the part of the archeological discovery from Piprahwa that belonged to the descendants of Mr. Peppé was not sold at auction as planned, but was instead acquired by India and repatriated.
The relics are on display alongside stunning statues and artefacts from the collections of the National Museum here in Delhi and the Indian Museum in Kolkata. I’ve visited both museums, but seeing treasures “reunited” like this thematically is glorious.
The exhibition is quite small and compact, and you follow a raised path around a stupa that contains the Piprahawa relics.
Walking around the stupa, you catch glimpses of it, as you learn about the excavations as well as the history of Lord Buddha.
I’m sharing below just a few of the stunning pieces on display.
A 15th century Japanese Buddha from the National Museum in Delhi
The absolutely charming 10th century depiction of a monkey giving a bowl of honey to the Buddha, from the Indian Museum in Kolkata
I could go on forever – there are so many glorious statues to see…
Now to the stupa and the relics.
They were gorgeous, as the photos below will hopefully show you, but what was overwhelmingly moving was the reaction of visitors.
I have never been to an exhibition like this in India.
There were Buddhist monks, Buddhist lay people (many from Cambodia, I later discovered) and I spent ages chatting with a lovely, knowledgable Ladakhi family.
There was a sense of deep reverence and joy. People knelt and prayed in front of the relics. Endless photos were taken.
There was that quiet dignity and reverence that I always find in a Buddhist context, be it Ladakh, Nepal, Bangkok.
It was all deeply moving.
I was also fascinated by a group of Indian students with their teacher, who explained the story of the relics, switching effortlessly between Hindi and English, and making the youngsters read out the Sanskrit quotations. It was refreshingly academic.
So yes. A lovely experience – the relics are amazing. The statues from around India are gorgeous. But it was the people who made the exhibition such a joy.
It is free, open till 9pm, which is quite something. There was armed security around the exhibition venue, but they were totally un-intrusive. Very un-hassle-y. The biggest hassle was finding the place! I did a bit of a tour of the neighbourhood before finding the venue
God help me, but this was the address I got from Mr. Google…
After going via the Qutb Golf Club, where a puzzled but helpful caddy pointed us in the right direction, I finally made it, but it was a l-o-n-g round-about way of getting there…
As I mentioned, entrance is free.
One of the staff on duty told me that once this exhibition finishes, the relics will go to the National Museum, which will be wonderful.
Obviously no-one there knew that I blog and write reviews! This is 100% from the heart.
Highly recommended.
Saw it yesterday. It was good. Providing well informed and knowledgeable guides, made it even better.
Ena, yes, indeed, it was a pleasure to have knowledgable staff and guides.