Buddha's Sacred Relics Embark on Historic Journey for UN Vesak Celebrations in Vietnam

The sacred relics of Buddha, enshrined at Sarnath's vihara, will be transported to Vietnam for the United Nations Day of Vesak celebrations in May 2025. After prayers in Delhi, they will travel with religious sanctity to several key Vietnamese sites, marking the first such exposition there.

The sacred relics of Buddha, housed at a vihara in Sarnath, Uttar Pradesh, are set to play a pivotal role in the United Nations Day of Vesak celebrations in Vietnam this May, according to the culture ministry.

These precious relics will first arrive ceremonially in Delhi on Wednesday. At the National Museum, they will be placed in a protected enclosure, where followers of Dhamma, including members of the Buddhist community and diplomatic representatives from Buddhist countries, will offer prayers, chanting, and meditation.

The relics will then be transported to Ho Chi Minh City by the Indian Air Force, where they will be venerated at multiple sites, including the largest Buddhist center in Southeast Asia. This marks the first exposition of Lord Buddha's sacred relics in Vietnam, coinciding with the UN Day of Vesak 2025.

(With inputs from agencies.)