In News:

A group of international Buddhist scholars and monastics has voiced strong objections to the proposed auction of the Piprahwa Gems. These jewels, long venerated as relics intimately linked to the historical Buddha, are at the center of a heated debate over their sale.

Background of the Piprahwa Gems

• Discovery Site: The gems were unearthed in 1898 at Piprahwa, in present-day Uttar Pradesh, where a stupa (Buddhist burial monument) once stood.
• Historical Significance: An inscription on one of the reliquaries claims the stupa housed the physical remains of the Buddha, who passed away circa 480 BCE.
• Excavation: The find was made by William Claxton Peppé, a British colonial engineer, during work on his estate. It marked the first scientifically credible recovery of Buddha’s relics in modern times.

Composition and Distribution

• Material Variety: The collection comprises roughly 1,800 pieces, including amethysts, coral, garnets, pearls, rock crystal, shells, and gold, fashioned into beads, pendants, and other ornaments, as well as unworked specimens.
• Custodial History: Under the 1878 Indian Treasure Trove Act, the British Crown claimed the entire hoard. Most of these gems were subsequently transferred to the Indian Museum in Kolkata. Peppé retained around one-fifth of the collection—items colonial officials deemed “duplicates”—which later entered private hands.
• International Gift: The British gifted the stupa’s bone and ash fragments to King Chulalongkorn of Siam (modern-day Thailand), further dispersing relics tied to the find.

Contemporary Concerns

Many in the Buddhist community argue that auctioning these gems violates their sacred status and severs the spiritual connection believers feel to the Buddha’s remains. They call for the jewels to remain in public or religious trust, rather than being treated as collectors’ items in the art market.