Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha arrived in Russia on Friday to lead a delegation tasked with bringing back the holy relics of Lord Buddha to India. The relics were recently displayed at the Geden Sheddup Choikorling Monastery in Elista, the capital of the Kalmykia Republic.
Senior Kalmykia officials, including First Deputy Chairman Tserenov Erdni Nikolayevich and Deputy Chairman Dzhambinov Ochir Vladimirovich, along with India’s Deputy Chief of Mission Nikhilesh Giri, welcomed Sinha.
The Indian delegation will accompany the relics back to India on October 19. The Golden Abode of Shakyamuni Buddha in Elista has enshrined the relics since October 11, attracting devotees and dignitaries from India and Russia.
Before his departure, Sinha expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on X, calling the assignment a ‘sacred opportunity’ and invoking the Buddhist mantra, ‘Om Namo Buddhaya’.
Exposition Highlights Spiritual and Cultural Ties
India’s Ministry of Culture, in collaboration with the International Buddhist Confederation (IBC), the National Museum, and the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, organised the exposition.
A press conference at the monastery last week featured dignitaries, including Batu Khasikov, Head of Kalmykia, Keshav Prasad Maurya, Deputy CM of Uttar Pradesh, Indian Ambassador Vinay Kumar Abhijit Halder, and senior Buddhist monks.
Participants highlighted the event’s significance in promoting Lord Buddha’s message of peace, spiritual pilgrimages, and strengthening India-Russia cultural, academic, and people-to-people exchanges.
The visit marks a landmark in cultural diplomacy, showcasing India’s efforts to preserve and share Buddhist heritage worldwide while strengthening spiritual, academic, and people-to-people ties with Russia.
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