PM to inaugurate exposition of Buddha-linked Piprahwa relics, repatriated gems in Delhi
New Delhi (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday will inaugurate a grand exposition of the sacred Piprahwa relics, which include bone fragments believed to be of the Buddha, a sandstone coffer, and offerings such as ornaments and gemstones, which were excavated in northern India in the late 19th century.
Titled "The Light and the Lotus: Relics of the Awakened One," it is being hosted for a couple of months at the Rai Pithora Cultural Complex here.
Following the discovery of the relics at Piprahwa (in today's Uttar Pradesh) by William Claxton Peppe in 1898, portions were distributed globally, with a part gifted to the King of Siam (now Thailand), another one taken to England, and a part preserved at the Indian Museum in Calcutta (now Kolkata), the Ministry of Culture said.
A selection of the relics retained by the descendants of Peppe — who was of British descent — was listed for auction on May 7 last year by Sotheby's Hong Kong.
However, the auction was halted, and the relics returned to India in 2025 through "decisive intervention by the ministry, supported by Buddhist communities worldwide, it said.
Now, the ministry is hosting a landmark exposition showcasing the Piprahwa relics, including reliquaries and gem relics.
Prime Minister Modi is scheduled to inaugurate the exposition shortly.
The exposition underscores India's role as the birthplace of Buddhism and reinforces its position as a global spiritual and cultural leader, the ministry said.
"India's global engagement increasingly draws upon its civilisational and spiritual inheritance. As many as 642 antiquities have been repatriated to India, with the return of the Piprahwa relics standing as a landmark achievement," the ministry said.
"The exposition will open for public viewing from January 4, and it will run for a couple of months," a senior official told PTI.
These relics were originally discovered at Piprahwa. A majority of these relics were transferred to the Indian Museum in Calcutta in 1899 and classified as "AA" antiquities under the Indian law, prohibiting their removal or sale, according to the ministry.
The Piprahwa relics are widely believed to be associated with the mortal remains of the Buddha, enshrined by the Sakya clan, officials said. An inscription in the Brahmi script on one of the caskets confirms these as relics of the Buddha deposited by the clan, they said.
For the first time since the 1898 excavation, the exposition brings together relics from the original digging, treasures from the 1972 excavation, reliquaries and jewelled treasures from the Indian Museum, recently repatriated relics from the Peppe family collection, and "the monolithic stone coffer within which the gem relics and reliquaries were originally found," the ministry said.
The inauguration ceremony will also see the participation of Union Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, various ambassadors and other members of the diplomatic corps, venerable Buddhist monks, senior government officials, scholars, heritage experts, several members of the art fraternity, art aficionados, followers of Buddhism, and many students.
Enshrined by his followers around the 3rd century BC, these relics have long held immense spiritual value for the global Buddhist community and represent one of the most important archaeological discoveries in Indian history.
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Real Madrid fines Valverde and Tchouaméni half a million euros each for altercation
Barcelona (AP): Real Madrid slapped players Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni with half-a-million-euro ($588,000) fines on Friday for their altercation during practice.
The massive fines came a day after the midfielders tussled when the team trained. Valverde said in a post on social media on Thursday that no punches were thrown. But Valverde knocked his head on a table and he suffered a small cut that required a brief hospital visit.
On social media, Valverde initially called it a “meaningless fight” with a teammate and said “everything has been blown out of proportion."
His employers, however, considered it a significant enough breach of team discipline to nail both Valverde and Tchouaméni with fines that bite even the bank account of a top soccer player. The half-a-million euro penalties reflect the reputational damage the club was enduring in a chaotic end to a disappointing season.
In a statement, the 15-time European champion said its disciplinary action was concluded after both players expressed to the club “their complete remorse for what happened and apologized to one another.”
Madrid added they also apologized to their teammates, the coaching staff and club supporters, as well as showing their willingness to accept whatever disciplinary action the club deemed “opportune.”
Tchouaméni was back training with Madrid on Friday, two days before they play at Barcelona in a clasico. Madrid has to win otherwise Barcelona will be crowned La Liga champion.
After being notified of the fine, he posted a public apology to the club and its fans on social media.
“What happened this week in training is unacceptable,” Tchouaméni wrote. "I say this while thinking about the example we are expected to set for young people, whether in football or at school.
“Above all, I am sorry for the image we projected of the club.”
Valverde was not at practice due to the head knock.
Both players are set to play in the World Cup next month, with Tchouaméni playing for France and Valverde for Uruguay.
Chaotic end to a poor season
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The run-in between the players, who for seasons have played side by side in Madrid's midfield, came after they argued this week in previous training sessions. But tempers boiled over on Thursday. Spanish media was rife with reports that the players previously disagreed over the club's decision to let coach Xabi Alonso go after just months on the job.
It was not the only altercation involving Madrid players during training this week. Álvaro Carreras confirmed he was in a “minor” incident with a teammate. Spanish media said he and fellow defender Antonio Rüdiger got into a scuffle.
Álvaro Arbeloa, the coach who was promoted from Madrid's reserve team when Alonso was fired in January, will face tough questions on what went wrong inside the changing room when he gives a press conference on Saturday ahead of the clasico at Camp Nou.
Madrid is facing a second consecutive campaign without a major trophy amid rumors in the Spanish media that club president Florentino Pérez is considering bringing back Jose Mourinho to straighten out his underperforming team.
