Buddha’s Sacred Relics To Go On Display At Sarnath’s Mulagandha Kuti Vihar From November 3–5
Organised by the Maha Bodhi Society, the event is expected to attract global pilgrims. The relics, dating back 2600 years, are rarely displayed, marking a significant spiritual occasion.
The sacred relics of Lord Buddha will be placed on public display at the Mulagandha Kuti Vihar in Sarnath from November 3 to 5, 2025, in a rare and deeply spiritual event.
The three-day exposition marks one of the most anticipated religious gatherings of the year, coinciding with the 94th anniversary of the historic Vihar, built on the very site where the Buddha delivered his first sermon, known as the Dharmachakra Pravartana.
Organised by the Maha Bodhi Society of India’s Sarnath Centre in collaboration with the Venerable Vietnamese Sangha and devotees from Hanoi, the ceremony will see the relics, enshrined beneath a golden Buddha statue inside the shrine, brought out for veneration. The occasion is expected to attract monks, pilgrims, and visitors from across India and Buddhist nations including Sri Lanka, Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia, Nepal, and Japan.
Tourism and Culture Minister Jaiveer Singh said Sarnath remains a vital part of India’s spiritual heritage and a cornerstone of Uttar Pradesh’s expanding Buddhist tourism circuit.
“This is where Lord Buddha first shared his message after enlightenment, and it continues to inspire pilgrims and scholars from around the world,” Singh said. “In 2016, Buddhist sites in Uttar Pradesh received nearly 28 lakh visitors. By 2024, that number had grown to over 84 lakh, an increase of almost 200 percent. In just the first half of 2025, Sarnath alone welcomed close to 5 lakh visitors.”
Singh added that under Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s leadership, the state government has prioritised the development of Buddhist destinations through improved infrastructure, enhanced connectivity, and targeted global promotion.
“Our goal is to make every visitor’s experience at Sarnath both enlightening and transformative, to let them take home the peace and wisdom that the Buddha shared here,” he said.
The relics housed within the Mulagandha Kuti Vihar hold immense historical and spiritual value, dating back over 2,600 years. One relic was unearthed in the ancient Gandhara region and gifted to the Maha Bodhi Society in 1956, while another was discovered in Nagarjunakonda, South India, preserved in an inscribed stone casket confirming its authenticity.
These relics are displayed to the public only twice a year, on Buddha Purnima and Kartika Purnima—making the upcoming exposition a moment of rare reverence for followers of Buddhism.
As the ceremony concludes on November 5, the relics will be solemnly re-enshrined beneath the golden statue of the Buddha. For devotees, this is more than a ritual, it is a journey back to the origins of a faith that took root in Sarnath over two millennia ago and continues to inspire peace and compassion across the world.
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