Elista [Kalmykia, Russia]: The exposition of sacred relics of Lord Buddha, temporarily enshrined at the Geden Sheddup Choikorling Monastery in Kalmykia, has drawn more than 90,000 devotees since their arrival last week, officials said.
The relics, originally housed at India’s National Museum, were flown to Elista in a special Indian Air Force aircraft on October 11. The Geden Sheddup Choikorling Monastery, also known as the “Golden Abode of Shakyamuni Buddha,” is a major Tibetan Buddhist centre surrounded by the Kalmyk steppe and open to the public since 1996.
Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha arrived in Elista on Friday to lead the Indian delegation accompanying the relics back to India on October 19. He said the exposition will strengthen people-to-people ties between India and Russia.
The display has evoked unprecedented devotion in Kalmykia, Europe’s only region where Buddhism is the predominant religion. The relics were originally scheduled to be exhibited from September 24-28, but logistical and technical issues delayed the event.
Sinha was welcomed by Kalmykia officials, including First Deputy Chairman Tserenov Erdni Nikolayevich and Deputy Chairman Dzhambinov Ochir Vladimirovich, alongside India’s Deputy Chief of Mission Nikhilesh Giri.
The Indian delegation, also led by Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya and senior Indian monks, conducted religious services and blessings for the local population. Organised by India’s Ministry of Culture, the International Buddhist Confederation, the National Museum, and the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, the exposition highlights enduring civilisational ties and commemorates the legacy of 19th Kushok Bakula Rinpoche, who promoted Buddhism in Russia and Mongolia.
