Relics of Lord Buddha on sacred journey to Thailand from India, Indian envoy calls it landmark moment

By Ayushi Agarwal
Bangkok [Thailand], February 21 : In a historic event, the revered relics of Lord Buddha, along with those of his esteemed disciples, Arahata Sariputra and Arahata Maudgalayana, are set to embark on a sacred journey to Thailand. This is for the first time that the holy relics of Lord Buddha and his disciples will be showcased together.
Referring to the exposition of the holy relics as a 'landmark moment', in the Indo- Thai relationship, the Indian ambassador to Thailand, Nagesh Singh during an interview with ANI here, underlined the civilizational connect between the two countries and also highlighted the importance of the event.
"This is a landmark event for the Indo-Thai relations. Thailand is referred to as a civilizational neighbour, given the connection we have of Buddhism, Hinduism, and language, which is derived from Pali and Sanskrit, Lord Buddha. More than 90 per cent of the population in Thailand is Buddhist", said the Indian envoy.
"These relics, especially of Lord Buddha, are the living embodiment of the Lord. It's a very big event, and it also coincides with the 72nd birth year of the king. The relics will arrive here on February 22. On February 23, they will be enshrined in these royal palace grounds called Sanam Luang by the PM of Thailand. They will be in Bangkok till March 3. Then they will travel to the northern city called Chiang Mai, then to an eastern city called Ubon Ratchathani, and to the south, Krabi..And from there they'll go back on 19 March to India... In the northeast, we expect pilgrims from Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar to come down to pay their respects...", he added.
A 22-member delegation led by Governor of Bihar Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar and Union Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment Dr. Virendra Kumar will accompany the Sacred Relics from India to Thailand for 26-day exposition, said Govind Mohan, Secretary Ministry of Culture on tuesday in New Delhi while briefing the media.
The delegation comprises of monks from Kushinagar, Aurangabad, Ladakh , officials from Ministry of Culture, state government of M.P., curators from National Museum , artists and scholars. The event is being organized with the support of Ministry of External Affairs, Indian Embassy in Thailand, International Buddhist Confederation, National Museum, State Government of Madhya Pradesh.
Speaking further on India - Thailand relations, the envoy underlined the growth trajectory and how Thais are fond of Indian movies.
"India-Thailand relations are very close on civilizational connect.It was Indians who gave the name Suvarnabhumi to Thailand. At the political level, the relationship is on a high trajectory..Our trade and economic relationship is going up. It had reached almost USD 18 billion in 2022... Our defence and security cooperation is very good", said the Indian envoy. There's a large Indian diaspora in Thailand... People want to learn Hindi. They like Indian cinema.", he added.
The journey of these sacred relics from India to Thailand is scheduled to commence on 22nd February 2024. The Relics are being carried in IAF aircraft befitting status as State Guest and will reach Thailand in the forenoon of the same day.
Once arrived, the relics will be welcomed in a grand ceremony and securely housed at the National Museum in Bangkok, and later enshrined in a grand mandapam prepared in Sanam Luang Pavilion in Bangkok on 23rd February. People can pay their reverence from Makha Bucha Day onwards. Exhibitions about Buddhist sites in Bharat and talk on Relics by academicians will also be organised on the sidelines of the tour of the relics at the different venues.
The exhibition itinerary includes visits to multiple venues across Thailand, allowing devotees and enthusiasts alike to pay homage to these revered artifacts.
The envoy during the interview also spoke about the high level visits between the two countries, underlining that the Prime Minister of Thailand is very keen to visit India.
"The PM of Thailand is very keen to visit India. Last year, PM Modi was supposed to come to the BIMSTEC summit, but a new government was formed in October, so Thailand postponed it. When the BIMSTEC summit takes place after our elections, there is an expectation that PM Modi will be here for the summit... The deputy PM, FM of Thailand is visiting India for the India-Thailand Joint Commission on February 26, 27 to have his discussions with S Jaishankar...", he added.
India's economic and commercial relations with Thailand are rooted in history, age-old socio cultural interactions and extensive people to people contacts. India's 'Look East' policy (since 1993) and Thailand's 'Look West' policy (since 1996) which have now metamorphosed into India's 'Act East' and Thailand's 'Act West" are strongly contributing to consolidation of bilateral relations including economic & commercial linkages.
India's partnership with Thailand also has a strong regional dimension in the context of India's engagement with ASEAN and membership of groupings such as BIMSTEC, Mekong Ganga Cooperation (MGC) and Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD). There has been regular high level exchanges between the two countries in the recent years and the closer political relationship has contributed to a new dynamism in economic and commercial ties.