The Piprahwa Relics Return

In July 2025 India brought home the Piprahwa relics -- gem-and-bone treasures dug in 1898 from a stupa in Uttar Pradesh long tied to the Buddha's clan homeland of Kapilavastu -- ending a 127-year exile. When a British collector's descendants tried to sell a share of the hoard at Sotheby's Hong Kong in May 2025, the Union Culture Ministry forced the auction's cancellation within days, then partnered with the Godrej group to secure the artefacts. The episode has become a showpiece of India's aggressive drive to reclaim its dispersed heritage.