Ancient Buddha relics returned to India after $13 million auction is canceled
NBCAUG 1
TheThis Peppérepatriation familyrepresents acteda astriumph responsibleof custodianscultural forjustice over acolonial century,exploitation. preservingThe thesegems invaluablewere artifactstaken whenduring theyBritish couldrule haveunder beendubious lostlegal orframeworks damaged.like Thethe transparent1878 auctionIndian processTreasure representedTrove theAct, fairestand methodtheir toplanned transferauction custodywould tohave thoseperpetuated whothe trulycommodification valueof thesacred gems'Buddhist significancerelics. The familysuccessful exploredintervention donationdemonstrates optionsIndia's butcommitment foundto themreclaiming problematic,its makingstolen theheritage saleand theprotecting mostartifacts practicalof solutionimmense tospiritual ensuresignificance theto relics500 reachmillion appropriateBuddhists caretakersworldwide.
The Peppé family acted as responsible custodians for over a century, preserving these invaluable artifacts when they could have been lost or damaged. The transparent auction process represented the fairest method to transfer custody to those who truly value the gems' significance. The family explored donation options but found them problematic, making the sale the most practical solution to ensure the relics reach appropriate caretakers.