via Mothership, 21 November 2023: For a limited time, the Rise of Asia Museum at Haw Par Villa in Singapore will showcase the Kapilavastu Buddha Relics from Sri Lanka’s Rajaguru Sri Subuthi Temple Waskaduwa. This exhibition, “Beyond Time: The Legacy of Buddha’s Bone Relics,” marks the relics’ first overseas display, previously restricted due to their significant historical and spiritual value. Discovered in 1898 in Piprahwa, believed to be Buddha’s childhood home of Kapilavastu, these relics offer a rare glimpse into Buddhist history and heritage, accompanied by various activities including a documentary screening and meditation sessions.
The relics were accorded the “AA” category of Antiquities and Art Treasures in 2015 which means that they are heavily protected and, under ordinary circumstances, cannot be taken overseas.
They are known as the Kapilavastu relics because they were recovered in 1898 from a site in Piprahwa, India, a place believed to be the ancient city of Kapilavastu.
Some Buddhist texts name Kapilavastu as the childhood home of Gautama Buddha.
It is believed that upon Buddha’s death and cremation, his ashes were distributed among eight royal clans, one of which was the Sakyas of Kapilavastu.
These relics were then enshrined within stupas, which became sites of veneration.
