Buddhist gem collection to return to India after 127 years

31/7/2025 16:11

A collection of hundreds of jewels linked to Buddha's remains has returned to India after 127 years following an auction planned for earlier this year that drew threats of legal action from the government in Delhi.



Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday hailed the return of the collection, known as the Piprahwa Gems of the Historical Buddha.



"A joyous day for our cultural heritage!" Modi wrote in a post on X. "It would make every Indian proud."



The collection of more than 300 gems date from the Mauryan Empire, around 240-200 BCE.



The collection was originally scheduled to be auctioned by Sotheby's in Hong Kong in May but the sale was postponed after India's government threatened legal action and demanded the jewels be returned.



Sotheby's subsequently identified Indian conglomerate Godrej Industries Group as a buyer and secured a sale that saw the permanent return of the gems to India, where they would be placed on public display.