Srinagar, June 10: The holy relics of Lord Buddha’s chief disciples, Arhant Sariputra and Arhant Maudgalyayana, have returned to India after a 10-day exposition at the Gandan Tegchenling Monastery in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, held from May 31 to June 9, 2026.

Organised by the National Museum of India under the Ministry of Culture, in collaboration with the Government of Madhya Pradesh, the Mahabodhi Society of Sri Lanka, and the International Buddhist Confederation (IBC), the exposition was held at the request of the Mongolian monastery and opened on the occasion of Mongolian Buddha Purnima.

The relics were ceremonially handed over in Mongolia on May 30 by Assam Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya to Mongolia’s Minister of Education Enkh-Amgalan and senior monastic leader Ven. Khamba Nomun Khan Geshe Lharampa D. Javzandorj.

The initiative was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the 2025 state visit of Mongolian President Khurelsukh Ukhnaa to India, highlighting the deep civilisational and spiritual ties between the two nations.

According to officials, around one lakh devotees visited the monastery during the exposition. This marks only the third international display of these relics, after Thailand and Mongolia.

Alongside the exposition, exhibitions on Buddhist heritage and philosophy were organised by the International Buddhist Confederation and the National Museum of India, focusing on the journey of Buddha Dhamma across Asia and relic traditions.

The relics were brought back to India aboard an Indian Air Force special aircraft, accompanied by a delegation led by Ladakh Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena. Ceremonial receptions were held at the monastery before departure.

Mongolian authorities and Buddhist institutions extended full support for the event, which concluded with a closing ceremony attended by senior religious leaders and officials from both countries, underscoring the strengthening spiritual and cultural ties between India and Mongolia.