Buddha’s relics return to India, concluding historic pilgrimage in Vietnam
Over the course of one month, the relics of Lord Buddha embarked on a spiritually profound journey across nine major cities and provinces, from Ho Chi Minh City in the south to the northern province of Quang Ninh, drawing more than 17.8 million devotees
At the ceremony at the National Museum in New Delhi (Photo: VNA)
New Delhi (VNA) – The sacred relics of Lord Buddha officially returned to New Delhi on June 2, marking the end of a historic month-long spiritual journey across Vietnam.
The revered relics were transported aboard a special Indian Air Force flight led by a high-level Indian government delegation, including Odisha Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati and prominent Indian Buddhist dignitaries.
On June 3, the International Buddhist Confederation (IBC) held a special ceremony at the National Museum in New Delhi to review the relics' journey.
Participants highlighted the pilgrimage’s deep spiritual significance and commended the joint efforts of authorities, Buddhist communities, and the IBC in promoting and preserving Buddhist values.
In his remarks, Counsellor Tran Thanh Tung of the Vietnamese Embassy in India thanked the Indian Government and the IBC for their close cooperation, lauding India’s goodwill in extending the pilgrimage in Vietnam from 20 to 30 days to meet the wishes of local Buddhists.
The Buddha’s relics, discovered at the sacred Buddhist site of Nagarjuna Konda in Andhra Pradesh state and preserved at Mulagandha Kuti Vihara temple in Sarnath, Uttar Pradesh, was brought to Vietnam in early May.
Over the course of one month, the relics embarked on a spiritually profound journey across nine major cities and provinces, from Ho Chi Minh City in the south to the northern province of Quang Ninh, drawing more than 17.8 million devotees./.
As part of the United Nations Day of Vesak 2025 celebrations, a sacred relic of the Buddha was ceremoniously welcomed to Quan Su Pagoda in Hanoi on the afternoon of May 13. This marks the third of four major pagodas nationwide to receive and enshrine the revered relic—an official Buddhist treasure of India—allowing followers and the public to pay their respects.
The veneration ceremony, hed within the framework of the United Nations Day of Vesak Celebrations 2025, was announced to begin at 2 pm on the day. However, people lined up outside the pagoda hours earlier.
The relics will be open for public worship and veneration at Hanoi-based Quan Su Pagoda from 6 am to 9 pm from May 14-16. They will then be transferred to Tam Chuc Pagoda in the northern province of Ha Nam from May 17-21, before being returned to India.
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