Following an auction earlier this year, the Piprahwa Gems of Lord Buddha returned to India on Wednesday after a 127-year absence.
The gems, contains hundreds of jewels linked to Buddha’s remains, was returned to India with the help of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He shared on X, “A joyous day for our cultural heritage!”
The priceless collection of over 300 stones dates back to about 240 and 200 BCE, under the Mauryan Empire. The diamonds came from an ancient stupa in Piprahwa, Uttar Pradesh, which was discovered in 1898. William Claxton Peppe, an English estate manager, conducted the excavation. Alongside the diamonds, bone fragments thought to belong to Lord Buddha were also discovered.
According to a Reuters article, Peppe was later permitted to keep over 300 duplicate jewels, which stayed in his family. The Hong Kong real estate company Sotheby’s had previously planned to sell off the Piprahwa diamond collection in May 2025. Shortly after the Indian government asked that the diamonds be returned and threatened legal action, the auction sale was postponed.
The Indian company Godrej Industries Group was later named by Sotheby’s as the buyer after the legal threat. As a result of the transaction, the Piprahwa jewels were permanently returned to India and put on public display.
Late on Wednesday, the auction firm released a statement saying, “Sotheby’s is delighted to have facilitated the return of the Piprahwa Gems to India.” According to India’s Ministry of Culture, which was cited in a Reuters report, the project was in line with Modi’s larger goal of reclaiming and celebrating India’s rich cultural and spiritual legacy from around the globe and was an excellent example of a public-private partnership.