Global auction house Sotheby’s has returned a set of sacred jewels believed to be associated with the Buddha’s remains to India, following diplomatic pressure, ethical outcry, and months of behind-the-scenes negotiations with the Indian government and global Buddhist leaders.
Known as the Piprahwa Gems, the relics, comprising nearly 1,800 ancient pearls, rubies, sapphires, and gold fragments, were due to be auctioned in Hong Kong this May. But after Delhi intervened, threatening legal action and rallying global support, Sotheby’s called off the sale and facilitated their eventual repatriation.
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the return on Wednesday, hailing it as a “proud and joyous moment” and a victory for the country’s cultural heritage. “The relics are coming home after 127 years,” he wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
Mumbai-based conglomerate Godrej Industries Group acquired the jewels in a private sale brokered by Sotheby’s. In a statement, the auction house said it was “delighted” to assist in the return of the sacred artefacts, adding that they will now be placed on permanent public display in India.
“We are deeply honoured to contribute to this historic moment,” said Pirojsha Godrej, Executive Vice Chairperson of Godrej Industries Group, in a government press release. “The Piprahwa gems are not just artefacts—they are timeless symbols of peace, compassion, and the shared heritage of humanity.”
The jewels were originally unearthed in 1898 by British estate manager William Claxton Peppé from a stupa in Piprahwa, near the Buddha’s birthplace in present-day northern India. The site contained an inscribed urn that identified the bone fragments and jewels as belonging to the Buddha himself, triggering one of the most extraordinary archaeological finds of the modern era.
While most of the bone relics and associated urns were handed to the colonial Indian government and later distributed to Buddhist nations such as Thailand, Sri Lanka, and Myanmar, a smaller cache of jewels remained in the private collection of the Peppé family in Britain.
Earlier this year, a set of 300 gems from that collection was publicly exhibited at Sotheby’s in Hong Kong, prompting global backlash. Prominent Buddhist leaders, scholars, and the Indian government strongly objected to the auctioning of what they considered sacred objects, particularly those tied to human remains.
“Are the relics of the Buddha a commodity that can be treated like a work of art to be sold on the market?” asked Delhi-based art historian Naman Ahuja in May. “Since the seller is termed the ‘custodian’, I would like to ask—custodian on whose behalf?”
While critics decried the commodification of the sacred relics, members of the Peppé family defended the auction, claiming it was the most transparent way to transfer ownership.
Chris Peppé, great-grandson of the original discoverer, said the family had explored donations, but faced logistical and legal hurdles. He also challenged claims that the gems were corporeal relics, calling that view “an academic construct” not shared by most Buddhists he had encountered.
Sotheby’s postponed the auction on 7 May, citing the need for further dialogue. A week later, it confirmed ongoing negotiations with the Indian government to secure an ethical resolution.
This week, the auction house confirmed that the matter had been resolved. “We are grateful to the Peppé family for having safeguarded the gems and for having worked with us—and with the Government of India—in good faith to achieve this historic outcome,” Sotheby’s said in a statement.
Chioma Kalu
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