India to Send Sacred Relics of Lord Buddha to Thailand

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced in Thailand that India will send revered relics of Lord Buddha, found in Gujarat's Aravalli in the 1960s, to Thailand for public reverence. This gesture strengthens cultural ties, continuing a tradition initiated last year with successful expositions in multiple Thai cities.

In a significant announcement made in Bangkok on Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared that India will send sacred relics of Lord Buddha to Thailand, discovered in Gujarat's Aravalli region back in the 1960s. This move aims to allow devotees in Thailand to pay their respects.

Highlighting the deep cultural relations between the two nations, PM Modi reminisced about the dispatch of Lord Buddha's relics last year to Thailand, which witnessed immense devotional fervor as over 4 million devotees engaged in their veneration. In 2024, these relics, and those of Buddha's disciples Arahata Sariputta and Arahata Maha Moggallana, will be displayed across multiple Thai cities.

Traditionally kept at New Delhi's National Museum, such relics seldom leave India for public notes. Ambassador Nagesh Singh praised this initiative, noting that relics of such historical import have never before been enshrined together. Modi's announcement highlights India's efforts to strengthen its cultural diplomacy and historical ties with Thailand.

(With inputs from agencies.)