Union Home Minister Amit Shah arrived in Ladakh on Thursday to participate in the first international exposition of Lord Buddha’s sacred relics to be held in India, officials said.
He was received at Kushok Bakula Rimpochee Airport by Ladakh Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena and given a ceremonial welcome. Senior officials from the police and civil administration were also present on the occasion.
During his two-day visit in the region, Shah will pay homage to the sacred relics of Lord Buddha on Buddha Purnima, which will be observed on Friday. He is also scheduled to lay the foundation stone of a dairy plant with a capacity of 10 TLPD (thousand litres per day) in Kargil. Apart from this, he will participate in several programmes related to dairy development in the region.
In a post on X on Wednesday, Shah described his visit as a moment of profound good fortune. He said he felt honoured to attend the first-ever international exposition of Lord Buddha’s holy relics beginning on May 1, coinciding with Buddha Purnima. He added that devotees from different parts of the world would gather to offer prayers and pay reverence to the sacred relics during the exposition.
The sacred Piprahwa relics of Buddha were brought to Leh on Wednesday in a special Indian Air Force aircraft. They were accompanied by Drukpa Thuksey Rinpoche and Khenpo Thinlas Chosal of Matho Monastery.
The relics were accorded a ceremonial reception upon arrival. Large numbers of people came out of their homes and lined the roads to pay respect and seek blessings.
The exposition, scheduled during the first two weeks of May, marks the beginning of a rare and spiritually significant event in the Union Territory of Ladakh. The Piprahwa relics are ancient remains and associated objects linked to Gautama Buddha. They were discovered at Piprahwa, an archaeological site in present-day Uttar Pradesh near the Nepal border.
The relics gained renewed global importance in recent years after a collection of associated gems and offerings was repatriated to India in July 2025 from a British family and a private collection, ending more than a century of colonial possession.
Although the relics have been exhibited in several countries earlier, this is the first time they are being displayed outside their original place of preservation within India.
According to officials, the Piprahwa relics have previously been exhibited in countries including Thailand, Mongolia, Vietnam, Russia, Singapore, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and Myanmar, drawing large numbers of devotees and global attention.
In Ladakh, the relics will be open for public veneration at Jivetsal from May 2 to May 10. They will then be taken to Zanskar on May 11 and 12, followed by exposition at the Dharma Centre in Leh from May 13 to 14, before being returned to Delhi on May 15.
Also read: HM Shah to visit Leh to pay obeisance to Lord Buddha relics
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