KRABI – Both Thais and Indians praised the event’s success in bringing the Buddha’s relics to Thailand for 25 days, allowing more than four million Thais in four regions across the country to pay their respects before they were returned to India on March 19, 2024.
On Tuesday, Krabi Airport in Thailand hosted a ceremony to return the Holy Buddha Relics and those of his two Venerable Disciples, Sariputta and Moggallana, to India. An Indian Air Force plane flew the relics back to New Delhi.
The ceremony was attended by Thai and Indian officials, including Mr. Soemsak Pongpanich, the Thai Minister of Culture, and Mr. Nagesh Singh, the Indian Ambassador to Thailand.
In his speech, Mr. Soemsak thanked all those who had made the event possible, especially the Bodhigayavijjalaya 980 Institute. He noted that a total of 4,127,590 people had paid their respects to the relics during their time in Thailand. The figure was broken down to 2 million visitors in Bangkok, 511,189 in Chiang Mai, 810,374 in Ubon Ratchathani and 720,667 in Krabi.
Mr. Suppachai Viraphuchong, secretary general of the Bodhigayavijjalaya 980 Institute, said the relics were brought to Thailand for a temporary period, from February 22 to March 19, 2024. They were displayed in four different regions of the country: Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Ubon Ratchathani and Krabi.
“It is seen as a major achievement that Thais from all over the country may pay homage to the relics, and continue to use the Buddha’s teachings as a mental anchor to establish love and unity,” said Mr. Suppachai.
Nagesh Singh, the Indian Ambassador, thanked the Thai government and the Ministry of Culture for their support in organizing the event. He said that the people of India had followed the news of the relics’ visit to Thailand with great interest and joy.
“People in India see Thailand as a civilized country,” he said. “India and Thailand have long exchanged cultures in many ways. Even many Thais or Indians may not know that we have a close relationship that goes back more than 2,000 years. Therefore, when the Indian government received a request from the Thai government to bring the sacred Buddha relics and the relics of the Arahants, it did not take long for a decision to be made.”
The ambassador explained that normally, it is not easy for them to travel outside the country, which would take at least three years. The Indian government decided to make an exception in this case to strengthen diplomatic relations between the two countries and to celebrate the 60th birthday of His Majesty the King of Thailand.
Mr. Singh also said that the Indian people see Thailand as a partner in creating a common success. The Thai and Indian governments have worked together to strengthen their friendship and the most important thing is a lasting relationship that will last forever, he said.
