Buddha relics from Sri Lanka presented to Dalai Lama

These relics were offered to the Dalai Lama by Waskaduwe Mahindawansa Mahanayaka Thero from the Raja Guru Shri Subuti Mahavihara Monastery in Sri Lanka

The sacred Kapilavastu relics of Lord Buddha Shakyamuni were presented to Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama at his residence in McLeodganj on Thursday.

Kapilavastu relics of Lord Buddha were presented to the Dalai Lama on Thursday. (Office of HH Dalai Lama)

These relics were offered to the Dalai Lama by Waskaduwe Mahindawansa Mahanayaka Thero from the Raja Guru Shri Subuti Mahavihara Monastery in Sri Lanka, who serves as the custodian of the Kapilavastu relics.

Discovered during the British rule in India during the Piprahwa excavations, the relics carry significance for Buddhists worldwide. They were originally gifted to the erudite Sri Lankan monk Waskaduwe Sri Subhuthi Mahanayake Thero by British official William Peppe in 1898. The relics enshrined in Piprahwa by relatives of Lord Buddha have been preserved over generations.

The relics serve as a link to the legacy of Lord Buddha. The Sri Subhuthi Maha Viharaya in Waskaduwa houses 21 relics of the Lord Buddha.

“The Dalai Lama has accomplished more for Buddhism than anyone in history. Recognising his status as a cherished spiritual leader in the global Buddhist community, it is with great honour that these authentic relics are being offered to him,” said Waskaduwe Mahindawamsa Mahanayaka Thero.

“After many years of effort and a profound desire, our wish to offer this precious relic to the 14th Dalai Lama is fulfilled,” he added.

In March, the sacred relics of Lord Buddha, along with those of his disciples, Arahant Sariputta and Maha Moggallana, embarked on a 25-day exposition spanning four cities in Thailand. During the exposition, more than four million devotees from Thailand and neighbouring countries in the Mekong region flocked to pay their respects.