A high-level Indian delegation departed on 4 February 2026 with the revered Devnimori relics of Lord Buddha for an international exposition in Sri Lanka. The sacred relics were ceremonially dispatched from the National Museum following Buddhist chanting rituals and established protocols, and departed from Palam Airport for Colombo.
The exposition of the Devnimori relics is being held at the Gangaramaya Temple, Colombo, from 4 to 10 February 2026 and will be open for public veneration. The initiative forms part of India’s ongoing cultural and spiritual engagement with Sri Lanka and aligns with the vision of the Hon’ble Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, to strengthen civilisational ties through shared heritage.
The Indian delegation is led by the Hon’ble Governor of Gujarat, Shri Acharya Devvrat, and includes the Hon’ble Deputy Chief Minister of Gujarat, Shri Harsh Sanghavi, along with senior Buddhist monks. The delegation will participate in religious, ceremonial, and official engagements in Colombo, highlighting India’s Buddhist legacy and contemporary cultural outreach.
The exposition features a relic casket inscribed in Brahmi script and Sanskrit with the words “dashabala sharira nilay”- meaning “the abode of the Buddha’s bodily relics.” The casket contains a copper box holding organic matter with holy ashes, along with silk cloth and beads. Structurally, the casket comprises three components: the body, the lid, and a rounded knob.
The copper box, with a flat base and slip-on lid, contains silk cloth, organic material with holy ashes, black clay covering, and a gold-coated silver-copper bottle. The amphora-shaped bottle has a cylindrical body, narrow neck, and screw-type lid. The relics are now preserved within an air-tight glass desiccator to prevent deterioration and are supported on a cotton base to ensure conservation. Sacred chanting ceremonies were conducted both at the National Museum and at the airport prior to departure.
The Devnimori relics originate from the Devnimori archaeological site near Shamlaji in the Aravalli district of Gujarat. The site was first explored in 1957 by eminent archaeologist Prof. S. N. Chowdhry. The relics are presently housed at the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, Gujarat.
The exposition in Sri Lanka builds upon India’s long-standing tradition of sharing its Buddhist heritage globally. In recent years, sacred relics of Lord Buddha have been exhibited in countries including Thailand, Mongolia, Vietnam, the Russian Federation, and Bhutan, drawing millions of devotees and strengthening people-to-people connections. The initiative reaffirms India’s civilisational responsibility as the birthplace of Buddhism and underscores its role as a custodian of global Buddhist heritage through cultural diplomacy.
The Devnimori relics are scheduled to return to India on 11 February 2026.
