Sacred relics of Buddha not merely artefacts, but part of India's revered heritage: PM Modi

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said the wisdom and path shown by Bhagwan Buddha belong to all of humanity and his sacred relics are not merely artefacts but part of India's revered heritage.

Inaugurating the grand international exposition of the sacred Piprahwa Relics, which were discovered in 1898, Modi said Bhagwan Buddha belongs to everyone and unites all the people.

"For India, the sacred relics of Bhagwan Buddha are not merely artefacts, they are a part of our revered heritage and an inseparable part of our civilisation," the prime minister said at the event here in the presence of Buddhist scholars, diplomats and other guests.

After a wait of one and a quarter centuries, he said, India's heritage has returned, and India's sacred legacy has come back home.

The wisdom and path shown by Bhagwan Buddha belong to all of humanity, he said.

Modi also thanked the Godrej Group for ensuring that the relics of Buddha return to his homeland.

The Piprahwa Relics hold a central place in the archaeological study of early Buddhism.

The relics are among the earliest and most historically significant deposits directly connected to Bhagwan Buddha, according to an official statement.

Archaeological evidence associates the Piprahwa site with ancient Kapilavastu, widely identified as the place where Bhagwan Buddha spent his early life before renunciation.