Controversy Surrounds Auction of Ancient Indian Buddhist Relics

The auction of ancient Piprahwa gemstones, believed to hold spiritual ties to the Buddha, has sparked global concern among Buddhists. Unearthed in 1898 in India, these relics, linked to the Buddha’s cremated remains, were partially claimed by British authorities under colonial rule. Now, descendants of their discoverer plan to sell the gems, valued at £9.7 million, despite objections from scholars and monks who deem them sacred. The sale highlights tensions between cultural heritage, religious reverence, and the art market.

The upcoming auction of ancient gemstone relics, believed by many to hold profound spiritual significance as remnants of the Buddha, has sparked deep concern among Buddhist scholars and monks worldwide. The sale, scheduled to take place in Hong Kong next week, highlights a complex intersection of religious reverence, colonial history, and modern commercial interests.

Sotheby’s, the auction house handling the sale, has described the Piprahwa gems as items of “unparalleled religious, archaeological, and historical significance.” These relics, unearthed in 1898 from a burial monument known as a stupa in Piprahwa, Uttar Pradesh, India, are thought to have once been interred alongside cremated remains of the Buddha himself, who passed away around 480 BCE. The gemstones, revered by many in the Buddhist community, have become the focus of a heated debate over their rightful place in the world.

The gems' discovery is rooted in colonial history. British engineer William Claxton Peppé unearthed the relics on his estate over a century ago. An inscription on one of the reliquaries identified the contents as connected to the Buddha, cementing their religious and cultural importance. Under the Indian Treasure Trove Act of 1878, the British colonial government claimed most of the artifacts, transferring them to the museum in Kolkata (then Calcutta). However, Peppé retained approximately one-fifth of the collection, while the cremated remains and ashes found with the gemstones were presented to King Chulalongkorn of Siam, a devout Buddhist monarch.

Today, three descendants of Peppé, including his great-grandson Chris Peppé, are putting the gemstones up for sale, with estimates suggesting the collection could fetch as much as £9.7 million. This decision has been met with resistance from many in the Buddhist community, who argue that the relics are sacred and should not be commodified. Ashley Thompson, a professor at SOAS University of London, and curator Conan Cheong, both experts in Southeast Asian art, have voiced their disapproval, stating that the gemstones, along with the accompanying bone and ash, are regarded as physical remains of the Buddha and therefore hold immense spiritual value. They argue that auctioning these relics to the highest bidder disregards their cultural and religious significance.

Chris Peppé, however, has defended the decision to sell the gemstones, emphasizing that none of the temples or experts he consulted over the past decade identified the items as bodily remains of the Buddha. Despite this claim, the sale has reignited conversations around the ethics of auctioning religious artifacts and the colonial legacy tied to their discovery and ownership.

For many Buddhists, the auction represents not just the commercialization of sacred relics but also a broader violation of their cultural and spiritual heritage. As the sale date draws closer, the debate underscores the enduring tension between historical ownership, religious reverence, and the global art market, leaving many to question the fate of these ancient treasures and their rightful place in the modern world.