STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Friday arrived at Elista, Kalmykia, as the head of an Indian delegation to pay homage to the sacred relics of Lord Buddha.
Sinha led delegation is tasked with bringing back the sacred relics of Lord Buddha that are currently on display at an international exhibition in the Russian Republic of Kalmykia.
In a post on X, Office of LG wrote, “Landed in Elista, Kalmykia, Russia. Looking forward to paying my obeisance to holy relics of Lord Buddha & interaction with Mr. Batu Sergeyevich Khasikov, Head of Republic of Kalmykia, Head of the Buddhists of Kalmykia, Shajin Lama of Kalmykia, venerable monks & local devotes.”
The Kalmyks, descendants of the Oirat Mongols who migrated from western Mongolia in the early 17th century, follow Mahayana Buddhism.
The sacred relics have been showcased at the Geden Sheddup Choikorling Monastery, also known as the Golden Abode of Shakyamuni Buddha, a major Tibetan Buddhist centre inaugurated in 1996.
Sinha expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for facilitating this sacred mission.
In an earlier post on X he said, “Leaving for Kalmykia, Russia, where I will lead the delegation to bring back holy relics of Lord Buddha after a week-long exposition. I sincerely thank the Hon’ble PM Shri @narendramodi Ji for this sacred opportunity.”
The exhibition was jointly organised by the Ministry of Culture, the International Buddhist Confederation (IBC), the National Museum, and the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA).