The Chief Prelates (Mahanayakas) of the Malwatta and Asgiriya Chapters of the Siam Sect, and the Amarapura and Ramanna Sects have requested the British Government’s intervention in the preservation of archaeological finds linked to the Buddha’s corporeal remains found from Uttar Pradesh in India, which are currently at risk of auction.
In a letter addressed to the British High Commissioner in Colombo, they expressed their objection towards exposing this collection of jewels which was unearthed from a mound in Northern India to a public auction, highlighting that it will be a great loss to the world heritage.
Furthermore, the Buddhist leaders noted: “We are shocked to learn that a collection of invaluable jewels linked to the corporeal remains of the Buddha is scheduled to go under the hammer at Sotheby’s in Hong Kong (HK). We learn that this collection of jewels was unearthed from a mound in Northern India, which is undoubtedly the home of the Buddha. This has been acclaimed by world-famous archaeologists as one of the most extraordinary archaeological discoveries of all time. To expose such a valuable artifact to a public auction will be a great loss to the world heritage.”
The letter also stresses that, as a Buddhist nation, Sri Lanka has an emotional and religious value towards any sort of remains related to the Buddha, noting that they are most revered and worshipped by all Buddhists, not only by Sri Lankans but by all Buddhists around the world. “Knowing your keen interest and observations of our religious practices and faith, it is not necessary to elaborate any further about the sensitivity of this matter to the worldwide Buddhists,” the letter added.
On Tuesday (6), India’s Government slammed the proposed sale of a dazzling cache of jewels linked to the remains of the Buddha and called for their return to India, where they were said to have been dug up more than a century ago by a British colonial official.
The collection of ‘gem relics’ – including amethysts, pearls, carnelians, shell and embossed gold sheets – was set to go up for auction in HK yesterday (7).
Described by Sotheby’s auction house as having “unparalleled religious, archaeological and historical importance”, the gem relics are considered sacred by many Buddhists, who believe that they are the corporeal remains of the Buddha.
Meanwhile, Sotheby’s has postponed the HK auction of the ancient gem relics linked to the Buddha’s remains after the Indian Government threatened to take legal action against the auction house. The Indian Ministry of Culture had warned that the failure to halt the sale of the Piprahwa gems would result in legal proceedings in Indian and Hong Kong courts and through international bodies “for violations of cultural heritage laws”.
In a statement, Sotheby’s said that the auction, due to take place yesterday, would be postponed to allow discussion between the sellers, the three descendants of William Claxton Peppé, a British colonial landowner, who, in 1898, excavated the gems on his estate in northern India, and the Indian Government. In a legal notice issued to Sotheby’s on Monday (5), the Culture Ministry told the auction house that the gems should be treated as the sacred body of the Buddha and that it would be “participating in continued colonial exploitation” if the sale went ahead.
The letter added that Peppé’s great-grandson, an America-based television director and film editor, Chris Peppé, lacked the authority to sell the gem relics, which “constitute the inalienable religious and cultural heritage of India and the global Buddhist community”.
The postponement of the auction comes after growing international outcry (Thailand, Cambodia, Sri Lanka and elsewhere) against the sale of the gems, which many Buddhists believe are imbued with the presence of the Buddha and should be treated as corporeal remains.
The 334 gems, which were expected to sell for about HK Dollars 100 million (Pounds 9.7 million), include amethysts, coral, garnets, pearls, rock crystals, shells and gold, either worked into pendants, beads, and other ornaments, or in their natural form.
They were originally buried in a dome-shaped funerary monument, called a stupa, in Piprahwa, in present-day Uttar Pradesh, India, about 240-200 Before Christ, when they were mixed with some of the cremated remains of the Buddha, who died in about 480 BC.
The British crown claimed Peppé’s find under the 1878 Indian Treasure Trove Act, with the bones and ash gifted to the Buddhist monarch King Chulalongkorn of Siam. Most of the 1,800 gems went to the colonial museum in Kolkata, while Peppé was permitted to retain approximately a fifth of them.
Chris Peppé has been approached for comment. With regards to his and his two relatives’ right to sell the gems, he previously said: “Legally, the ownership is unchallenged.”
In a statement, Sotheby’s said: “In light of the matters raised by the Government of India and with the agreement of the consignors, the auction of the Piprahwa gems of the historical Buddha, scheduled for yesterday, has been postponed. This will allow for discussions between the parties, and we look forward to sharing any updates as appropriate.”
(The Guardian)