Union Home Minister Amit Shah arrived in Ladakh on Thursday to attend the first-ever international exhibition of holy relics of Lord Buddha in India, officials said.
Ladakh Lieutenant Governor VK received Saxena Shah and accorded him a ceremonial welcome at the Kushok Bakula Rimpoche Airport here. The ceremony was also attended by senior police and civil administration officials.
During his two-day visit, Shah will pay respects to the holy relics of Lord Buddha on Buddha Purnima, which falls on Friday.
He will also lay the foundation stone for a 10 TLPD capacity dairy plant at Cargill and attend other dairy related programmes.
In X’s post on Wednesday, Shah said it was a very lucky moment for him.
“It is a moment of profound good fortune for me to attend the event of Buddha Purnima, the first-ever international exhibition of the holy relics of Lord Buddha, which begins on May 1,” he said.
“In this offering, devotees from different parts of the world will pay veneration to the relics of Lord Buddha,” he added.
The sacred relics of Piprahwa Buddha were brought to Leh in a special Indian Air Force plane on Wednesday by Drukpa Thoksi Rinpoche and Khenpo Thinlas Chosal of Mathu Monastery.
A reception was held for the holy relics upon their arrival, with people coming out of their homes and gathering along the roads to pay respects.
The fair, which will be held in the first two weeks of May, marks the beginning of a rare and important spiritual occasion in the Union Territory of Ladakh.
Piprahwa relics refer to ancient remains and associated objects associated with Gautama Buddha, which were discovered at Piprahwa, an archaeological site in the present-day state of Uttar Pradesh, near the border of Nepal.
The antiquities have gained renewed global importance in recent years, especially after a collection of gemstones and associated offerings were returned to India in July 2025 from a British family and private collection, ending more than a century of colonial possession.
The relics have been exhibited internationally in several countries. This is the first time that it has been taken out of its original storage for display within India.
Piprahwa relics have previously been displayed in countries such as Thailand, Mongolia, Vietnam, Russia, Singapore, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and Myanmar, attracting global attention and devotion, according to an official statement.
In Ladakh, the relics will be open for public veneration at Jevitsal from May 2 to 10. It will then be flown to Zanskar on May 11 and 12, followed by a show at the Dharma Center in Leh from May 13 to 14, before being returned to Delhi on May 15.
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