Itanagar: Sacred Piprahwa relics linked with Buddha arrived in Arunachal Pradesh on Saturday for a three-week exposition beginning in Tawang, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying the event would provide devotees a rare opportunity to connect more deeply with Buddhist heritage and teachings.The sacred relics will be displayed across Tawang, West Kameng and Namsai districts from Oct 31 to Nov 20 with support from the Union ministry of culture.In messages marking the occasion, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Dalai Lama highlighted Arunachal Pradesh’s important place in India’s Buddhist heritage and expressed hope that the exposition would strengthen people’s spiritual connection with Buddhism while promoting the values of peace, compassion and harmony.Modi said the Buddha’s teachings had guided humanity towards peace and compassion for more than two millennia and described Arunachal Pradesh as an integral part of India’s Buddhist heritage. He noted that Buddhist traditions had enriched the state’s spiritual and cultural life for centuries, with the Tawang Monastery remaining a prominent centre of Buddhist faith and learning.The Dalai Lama said he was pleased that devotees in Arunachal Pradesh had been given an opportunity to pay homage to the sacred relics of Buddha Shakyamuni.“The Buddha’s teachings can then be applied in daily life through a simple principle: if you can, help others; if you cannot, at least refrain from harming them,” the Dalai Lama said in his message.Recalling his visits to Arunachal Pradesh, the Dalai Lama said he had witnessed a steady growth in Buddhist studies and appreciation of the religion’s benefits among devotees in the state.Taking to X, Arunachal Pradesh CM Pema Khandu said he received the sacred relics at Tawang Air Force Station and expressed his gratitude to the IAF for safely transporting them from New Delhi. He also expressed gratitude to Modi and the Dalai Lama for their messages and good wishes.Khandu described the arrival of the sacred relics as a historic and spiritually significant occasion, saying the PM’s message recognised Arunachal Pradesh’s special place in India’s Buddhist heritage.Khandu invited devotees, scholars and visitors from across the country and abroad to participate in the exposition. He expressed hope that the occasion would inspire people to practise the Buddha’s teachings in their daily lives.Piprahwa, present-day Siddharthnagar district in Uttar Pradesh, occupies a prominent place in the archaeological history of Buddhism.
