India Sends Devnimori Buddha Relics to Sri Lanka for Exposition

In a significant act of spiritual outreach and cultural diplomacy, India will send the Holy Devnimori Relics of Lord Buddha to Sri Lanka for a public exposition in Colombo from February 4 to 10. The relics, currently enshrined at The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda in Vadodara, will return to India on February 11, following the conclusion of the exposition.

High-Level Ceremony and State Honours

The sacred relics will be flagged off from Vadodara by Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel with a guard of honour and floral tributes. The delegation accompanying the relics will include Gujarat Governor Acharya Devvrat, Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi, senior monks, and officials. In keeping with established protocol, the relics will travel with full state honours aboard a special aircraft of the Indian Air Force via Delhi to Colombo.

Spiritual and Civilisational Significance

According to the Press Information Bureau, the journey reflects India’s civilisational responsibility as the birthplace of Buddhism and highlights the deep spiritual and cultural bonds between India and Sri Lanka. The relics will be enshrined for public veneration at the iconic Gangaramaya Temple, one of Sri Lanka’s most revered Buddhist institutions.

Devnimori Relics and Archaeological Importance

The Devnimori Relics originate from the Devnimori archaeological site near Shamlaji in Gujarat’s Aravalli district. First excavated in 1957 by archaeologist S N Chowdhry, the site revealed significant Buddhist remains from the early centuries of the Common Era. The relic casket, made of green schist and inscribed in Brahmi script and Sanskrit, bears the inscription “dashabala sharira nilaya,” meaning the abode of the Buddha’s bodily relic. It contains a copper box with holy ashes, silk cloth, beads, and a gold-coated silver-copper bottle, preserved with great care.

Important Facts for Exams

• Devnimori is a major Buddhist archaeological site in Gujarat.
• The relic inscription is in Brahmi script and Sanskrit.
• Gangaramaya Temple is a key Buddhist centre in Colombo.
• Buddhist relic diplomacy is part of India’s soft power strategy.

Cultural Diplomacy and Regional Outreach

The exposition reinforces India’s people-centric foreign policy and its role as a custodian of global Buddhist heritage. Similar exhibitions of Buddha relics have been held in Thailand, Mongolia, Vietnam, Bhutan, and Russia in recent years. By sharing its most sacred Buddhist legacy with Sri Lanka, India aims to strengthen people-to-people ties, enhance mutual trust, and promote peace, harmony, and cooperative coexistence in South Asia and the wider Indian Ocean region.