New Delhi: The four Holy Piparahwa Relics of Lord Buddha and his two disciples — Arahata Sariputra and Arahata Maudgalyayana — reached Bangkok, Thailand on Thursday for a 26-day exposition.
The holy relics were received with great reverence and ceremoniously at the Bangkok Military Airport by the H E Sermsak Pongpanit, Minister of Culture, Royal Thai Government, Thai officials and a large number of Monks among other dignitaries.
The Holy Relics were welcomed with auspicious chanting ceremony and warm hospitality performance at Military Airport. Sermsak Pongpanit and Thai officials, along with the Union Minister Dr Virendra Kumar and delegations then conduced the Holy Relics from the Military Airport to enshrine at the National Museum, Bangkok for safe keeping and later to be enshrined in a grand mandapam prepared in Sanam Luang Pavilion in Bangkok on February 23. People can pay their reverence from Makha Bucha Day onwards.
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Kumar and Pongpanit held a press conference on the arrival of the Holy Relics at the National Museum, Bangkok. Addressing the media, Kumar said, “India and Thailand have always enjoyed strong, multidimensional and bilateral relations based on our convergent national interests and priorities. The eternal message of Lord Buddha embodied in the great religion of Buddhism is the most important and unbreakable link between India and Thailand.”
The Thai Culture Minister expressed happiness and gratitude at the Government of India having accepted the request of Thai Government to send Holy Relics to Thailand for exposition.
The relics were accompanied by the 22-member delegation headed by Governor of Bihar Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar and Union Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment Dr Virendra Kumar. The delegation comprises of venerable monks from Kushinagar, Aurangabad, Ladakh officials from Ministry of Culture, state government of Madhya Pradesh, curators from National Museum, artists and scholars.
The event is being organised with the support of the Ministry of External Affairs, Indian Embassy in Thailand, International Buddhist Confederation, National Museum, State Government of Madhya Pradesh.
