Buddha's Sacred Relics Draw 50,000 Devotees in Arunachal

The Ministry of Culture said on 12 November 2026 that nearly 50,000 devotees have so far visited the exposition of the Sacred Relics of Shakyamuni Buddha in Arunachal Pradesh. The exposition has entered its second week and continues to draw people from different parts of the State to offer prayers and seek blessings before the holy relics.

Where it began

The exposition opened at the Gaden Namgyal Lhatse Monastery, better known as the Tawang Monastery, on 31 October 2026 and closed there on 7 November 2026. During that week more than 31,000 devotees from Tawang and the areas around it came to the monastery to pay their respects.

Bomdila and Namsai

After Tawang, the relics reached the Thubchog Gatsel Ling (TGL) Monastery at Bomdila on 8 November 2026. The monastery is also known as the Lower Gompa. The response from the local community and from devotees of nearby areas has been strong, and the Ministry read the heavy turnout as a reflection of the deep Buddhist tradition and spiritual heritage of the region. The public exposition at Bomdila will stay open until 13 November 2026.

Once Bomdila is over, the relics will travel to the Golden Pagoda at Namsai, where they will be open for public veneration from 14 to 20 November 2026.

Who is organising it

The exposition is being organised by the Ministry of Culture together with the National Museum, New Delhi, the Government of Arunachal Pradesh and the International Buddhist Confederation (IBC), New Delhi. The Ministry described the tour as part of a continuing effort to preserve and promote the Buddhist heritage of the country and to strengthen India's cultural and spiritual ties with Buddhist communities.

For aspirants the chain of places and dates is the part worth fixing: Tawang first, then Bomdila, then Namsai, with the relic tour moving across Arunachal Pradesh through the first three weeks of November 2026.