PM Modi thanks Sri Lankan President at sacred Relics exposition

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday expressed gratitude to Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake for inaugurating the exposition of the Holy Devnimori Relics of Lord Buddha at the sacred Gangaramaya Temple in Colombo, calling it a reflection of the deep civilisational and spiritual bonds between India and Sri Lanka.
In a post on social media platform X, the Prime Minister recalled that during his visit to Sri Lanka in April 2025, it was decided that the revered relics would be brought to the island nation to enable devotees to pay their respects. “Our nations are connected by deep civilisational and spiritual bonds. May Lord Buddha’s timeless message of compassion, peace and harmony continue to guide humanity,” he said.

Gratitude to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake for inaugurating the Exposition of the Holy Devnimori Relics at the sacred Gangaramaya Temple in Colombo.

During my visit in April 2025, it was decided these relics will come to Sri Lanka, thus giving the opportunity for the… https://t.co/rLGTRudlsZ

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 5, 2026

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Culture said the exposition marks a significant moment in India’s cultural diplomacy and spiritual outreach. In line with the Prime Minister’s vision articulated during his Sri Lanka visit last year, the sacred Devnimori Relics have been brought to Colombo for public veneration from February 4 to 10, with their return to India scheduled on February 11.
The Holy Relics, presently enshrined at The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda in Vadodara, were transported with full state honours aboard a special Indian Air Force aircraft. They are accompanied by a high-level Indian delegation led by Gujarat Governor Acharya Devvrat and Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi, along with senior monks and officials.The delegation is participating in ceremonial, religious and official engagements in Colombo, including the formal inauguration of the exposition and associated exhibitions highlighting India’s Buddhist heritage and contemporary cultural engagements.The relics have been enshrined at the revered Gangaramaya Temple, one of Sri Lanka’s most prominent Buddhist institutions, founded in the late nineteenth century by Venerable Hikkaduwe Sri Sumangala Nayaka Thera. The temple is regarded as a major centre of worship, learning and cultural exchange.
According to information, the Devnimori Relics originate from the Devnimori archaeological site near Shamlaji in Gujarat’s Aravalli district. Excavations conducted in 1957 revealed significant Buddhist structures and a relic casket inscribed in Brahmi script and Sanskrit reading “dashabala sharira nilay”, meaning “the abode of the Buddha’s bodily relic”.The relics include holy ashes preserved in a copper box along with silk cloth and beads, housed within a carefully sealed desiccator to prevent deterioration.
Describing the initiative as a powerful instrument of soft power, the Ministry said the exposition reinforces India’s people-centric foreign policy while strengthening spiritual, cultural and people-to-people ties with Sri Lanka. It also reaffirms India’s role as a responsible custodian of global Buddhist heritage.The Sri Lanka exposition follows similar overseas displays of Lord Buddha’s sacred relics in countries such as Thailand, Mongolia, Vietnam, Russia and Bhutan in recent years, drawing millions of devotees and deepening cultural connections.The Ministry said the journey of the Devnimori Relics stands as a symbol of peace, compassion and coexistence, reaffirming the enduring friendship between India and Sri Lanka, rooted in centuries-old civilisational ties and mutual respect.