Sotheby's, a well-know auction house has returned a collection of sacred jewels to India that are believed to be connected to the remains of the Buddha.
These jewels, known as the Piprahwa Gems are considered one of the most remarkable archaeological discoveries.
In 1898, an English estate manager named William Claxton Peppe discovered the relics during an excavation of a stupe, a Buddhist burial mound in Piprahwa, northern India near the birth place of Buddha.
The discovery included around 1,800 valuable items such as pearls, rubies, sapphire and gold sheets which were burried together with bone fragments.
Initially, Sotheby's had planned to sell them in Hong Kong but they cancelled the sale after increasing pressure from the Indian government and Buddhist leaders around the world.
Sotheby's said they were pleased to help send jewels back to India after two months of negotiation and now the Mumbai-based conglomerate Godrej Industries Group has acquired the jewels, as per BBC.
Meanwhile, Indian Prime Minster Narendra Modi took to his social media account, X (formerly Twitter) to announced the news, calling it a "proud and Joyous moment."
He said that the relics were finally returning to India after being away for 127 years.
Godrej Industries Group, the buyer of the jewels expressed their honour in a statement, noting, "We are deeply honoured to contribute to this historic moment. The Piprahwa gems are not just artefacts - they are timeless symbols of peace, compassion, and the shared heritage of humanity."
The auction house added that the sacred relics will now be permanently displayed for the public in India.
