Collection of gems related to Buddha's relics returned to India

An auction of a collection of gems related to Buddha relics was scheduled for earlier this year, raising the threat of repatriation of these precious antiquities.

PHOTO: REUTERS

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed the return of the collection known as the Piprahwa Gems of Buddha . "A happy day for our cultural heritage! This will make every Indian proud," Modi wrote in an X post on July 30.

The collection of over 300 gemstones including amethyst, topaz and pearls dates back to the Maurya Empire, Ashokan era, around 240-200 BC.

Collection of Buddha relics found by a British man

The collection, first excavated by a British man in northern India, was originally scheduled to be auctioned by Sotheby's Hong Kong (China) in May 2025, but the auction was postponed after the Indian government threatened legal action and demanded the return of the jewelry, according to Reuters .

Sotheby's then identified the Indian conglomerate Godrej Industries Group as the buyer and secured a sale that would see the permanent return of these gems to India, as well as their public display.

"Sotheby's is delighted to facilitate the return of the Piprahwa Gems to India," the auction house said late on July 30.

PHOTO: SOTHEBY'S

The Ministry of Culture and Tourism of India said this is an exemplary public-private partnership and the initiative is in line with Prime Minister Modi's broader mission to revive and celebrate India's cultural heritage across the world.

The gems were excavated in 1898 from an ancient stupa in Piprahwa, northern India, by estate manager William Claxton Peppe, along with bone fragments believed to be from the Buddha. Peppe was then allowed to keep more than 300 of the gems, which remain in his family.