31,000 Devotees Venerate Sacred Relics of Shakyamuni Buddha During Seven-Day Tawang Exposition in Arunachal Pradesh

Key facts

• The sacred exposition of the Holy Relics of Shakyamuni Buddha, organised by the Ministry of Culture with the Government of Arunachal Pradesh and the International Buddhist Confederation (IBC), concluded its Tawang leg on 7 November 2026, with 31,000 devotees visiting Tawang Monastery (Gaden Namgyal Lhatse) over seven days.
• The Sacred Relics arrived in Tawang on 31 October 2026 from the National Museum, New Delhi, and were received by Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu in the presence of Union Minister of Culture and Tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat.
• Chief Minister Pema Khandu inaugurated two special exhibitions: 'Unearthing the Sacred Piprahwa' by the IBC on the 1898 discovery of the Piprahwa relics, and 'Crossroads of Dhamma' curated by the National Museum, New Delhi.
• On 2 November 2026, the IBC organised an international conference, 'Buddhism: Dissemination in the Himalayan Region and Beyond', at the Kalawangpo Convention Centre, Tawang.
• On 8 November 2026, the Sacred Relics will be transported by the Indian Air Force to Bomdila, where they will be enshrined at TGL Monastery (Lower Gompa) for public darshan from 8 to 13 November 2026.
• The Relics will then be displayed at the Golden Pagoda, Namsai, from 14 to 20 November 2026, before returning to the National Museum, New Delhi, on 21 November 2026.