History of Piprahwa Gems
Context:
The sacred Piprahwa gems have been returned to India after 127 years.
They were recently displayed at the Qila Rai Pithora in Delhi.
Discovery and History:
6th-5th century BCE: The Buddha dies at Kushinagar and his body is cremated. After a dispute over his corporeal relics, they are divided into eight parts to be distributed among the claimants, including Buddha's own clan, the Shakyas of Kapilavastu.
The Shakyas build a stupa at Piprahwa to house their share of relics.
3rd Century BCE: Mauryan Emperor Ashoka commissions the Piprahwa stupa to be rebuilt with fired bricks. Gem relics are consecrated alongside the relics
1890s: Ashokan monuments are discovered. The discovery of the Lumbini pillar in 1896 sparks a series of archaeological discoveries related to remains of the Buddha
The gems were discovered by William Claxton Peppé (in 1897), a British colonial engineer and estate manager, during an excavation at Piprahwa in northern India.
The excavation revealed a sandstone coffer containing
Bone fragments believed to be of the Buddha.
Five small urns
Nearly 1,800 precious and semi-precious stones (pearls, rubies, topaz, sapphires, etc.)
An inscription in Brahmi script on one of the caskets identifies them as relics of the Buddha, deposited by the Shakya clan.
This site is widely believed to be the ancient Kapilavastu, the seat of the Buddha's family clan.
The Repatriation Saga:
In May 2025, the gems (part of a private family collection) were listed for auction by Sotheby's Hong Kong with an estimated value of $100 million.
Soheb Wahab, a JNU alumnus, spotted the listing and alerted Professor Naman Ahuja (JNU), who sent a dossier to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO).
The Indian government intervened to stop the auction, considering the gems too precious to be lost.
The gems were acquired by Godrej and discreetly flown back to India on a commercial flight from Hong Kong to Mumbai in July 2025, avoiding potential diplomatic friction with Chinese authorities.