Exposition of holy relics of Buddha in Russia’s Kalmykia attracts over 90,000 devotees

The exposition of a portion of the sacred relics of Lord Buddha, at present enshrined at a monastery in Russia’s Kalmykia, has drawn greater than 90,000 devotees because it was delivered to that nation per week in the past, officers mentioned.

The relics, initially enshrined on the on the National Museum in New Delhi, was ferried to Russia in a particular Indian Air Force plane and reached Elista, the capital metropolis of the Republic of Kalmykia on October 11.

As a part of the exposition, it was later briefly enshrined in the primary Buddhist monastery in Elista, referred to as the Geden Sheddup Choikorling Monastery, additionally referred to as the “Golden Abode of Shakyamuni Buddha.”

This is a big Tibetan Buddhist centre, opened for the general public in 1996 and is surrounded by the Kalmyk steppe, the Indian Culture Ministry earlier mentioned.

Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor Manoj Sinha arrived in Elista on Friday (October 17, 2025), and can lead an Indian delegation that can accompany the holy relics when they’re ferried again to India on October 19, the Ministry mentioned on Saturday.

The exposition will strengthen the people-to-people ties between India and Russia, he mentioned throughout his interplay with native media after paying homage to the relics.

In a strong show of non secular devotion and shared cultural heritage, the exposition has drawn an “unprecedented response” within the Republic of Kalmykia, Russia. As of right now, greater than 90,000 devotees have paid their reverent homage to the relics, enshrined on the iconic Geden Sheddup Choikorling Monastery, the Ministry mentioned in a press release.

The sacred relics of the Buddha had been earlier to be exhibited in Kalmykia from September 24-28 as a part of an exposition. The delay occurred as a result of “certain unforeseen logistical and technical circumstances,” sources earlier mentioned.

On his arrival, Mr. Sinha was obtained by the First Deputy Chairman of the Government of Kalmykia, Tserenov Erdni Nikolayevich, Deputy Chairman Dzhambinov Ochir Vladimirovich and India’s Deputy Chief of Mission Nikhilesh Giri, the assertion mentioned.

The sacred relics, recognised as a nationwide treasure of India, had been delivered to the capital metropolis of Elista, accompanied by a high-level delegation led by Keshav Prasad Maurya, Deputy Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, and senior Indian monks.

The delegation is conducting particular non secular companies and blessings for the predominantly Buddhist inhabitants of Kalmykia, the one area in Europe the place Buddhism is the predominant faith, it mentioned.

This historic exposition, the primary of its form within the Russian Republic, is a testomony to the deep civilisational bonds between India and Russia, it additional mentioned.

It revives the enduring legacy of the nineteenth Kushok Bakula Rinpoche, the revered Buddhist monk and diplomat from Ladakh, who was instrumental in reviving Buddhism in Mongolia and reigniting curiosity within the Buddha Dharma in Russian areas like Kalmykia, Buryatia, and Tuva, the ministry mentioned.

The occasion has been organised by the BTI part of the Ministry of Culture, in collaboration with the International Buddhist Confederation (IBC), the National Museum, and the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA).