LEH/JAMMU, May 2: The Department of Posts in Jammu and Kashmir Postal Circle on Saturday released a special cover to commemorate the grand exposition of the holy relics of the Tathagata Buddha at Leh in the Union Territory of Ladakh.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday inaugurated the exposition of the holy relics of Tathagata Buddha and the 2569th Buddha Purnima celebrations in Leh during his two-day visit to Ladakh.
Officials said the special cover was unveiled at a function organised by the Union Territory Administration of Ladakh at Jivetsal in the Choglamsar area.
Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu released the cover in the presence of Ladakh Chief Secretary Ashish Kundra. The event was organised under the aegis of the Ministry of Culture, Government of India, in partnership with the All Ladakh Buddhist Association and the All Ladakh Gonpa Association, under the theme “Peace Beyond Borders”.
Officials said the sacred exposition of the Holy Relics is being held for the first time since the authenticated relics of Lord Buddha were excavated from the Piprahwa Stupa in Uttar Pradesh in 1898.
Thousands of devotees, many dressed in traditional Ladakhi attire, lined the streets from Leh airport to catch a glimpse of the relics.
Officials said releasing the special cover would preserve the historic ceremony in the Department of Posts’ philatelic records. Arvind Kher, Superintendent of Post Offices, Ladakh Postal Division, was also present on the occasion.
The revered Piprahwa relics of Tathagata Buddha, ancient sacred remains and associated objects linked to Gautama Buddha discovered at Piprahwa in present-day Uttar Pradesh near the Nepal border, arrived in Leh on Wednesday.
Drukpa Thuksey Rinpoche and Khenpo Thinlas Chosal of Matho Monastery brought the relics from Delhi to Leh in a special Indian Air Force aircraft.
Officials said the relics would be available for public veneration at Jivetsal from May 2 to 10. They will then be exhibited in Zanskar on May 11 and 12, followed by an exposition at the Dharma Centre in Leh from May 13 to 14, before being flown back to Delhi on May 15.
In his address, Shah said Buddha Purnima marks a historic and truly golden occasion for the residents of Ladakh. He said on this auspicious occasion, the arrival of the sacred relics of Lord Buddha after 75 years would inspire followers of Buddhism as well as other faiths.
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