India halts auction of buddhist relics at sotheby's hong kong

India has intervened to stop the auction of sacred Buddhist relics at Sotheby's Hong Kong, demanding their return. The relics, excavated in northern India in 1898, were scheduled for auction on May 7. The Ministry of Culture has issued a legal notice to Sotheby's Hong Kong, seeking immediate cessation of the sale. These relics, found at the Piprahwa Stupa, are considered highly significant. The stupa is widely recognized as the ancient city of Kapilavastu, the birthplace of Lord Buddha. The relics include bone fragments, soapstone and crystal caskets, and a sandstone coffer. Most of the relics were moved to the Indian Museum in Kolkata in 1899. They are classified as 'AA' antiquities under Indian law, prohibiting their sale. A portion of the bone relics was gifted to the King of Siam, while others were retained by descendants and listed for auction.