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Ladakh Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena will travel to Mongolia on Sunday (June 7) to accompany the sacred relics of two great disciples of Lord Buddha from Ulaanbaatar to New Delhi, following a 10-day exposition in Mongolia.
Saxena has been nominated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to lead the delegation for the return of the holy relics to India. He will also attend the concluding ceremony on June 10 in Ulaanbaatar, after which the relics will be flown back on a special aircraft. The development comes in the wake of the successful organisation of the Sacred Exposition of Holy Buddha Relics in Ladakh from May 1 to 14. Earlier on May 30, India transferred the sacred relics of Lord Buddha to Mongolia for a 10-day public exposition, in a move that highlights the deep cultural and spiritual ties between the two countries. The sacred relics were airlifted from New Delhi to Ulaanbaatar aboard an Indian Air Force (IAF) IL-76 aircraft, also known as Gajraj. In a post on X, the IAF said, "The Indian Air Force IL-76 (Gajraj) became a symbol of cultural diplomacy and India's enduring civilisational outreach, airlifting the sacred relics of Lord Buddha from Delhi to Mongolia on 30 May 26." The Air Force said the relics hold immense significance for the Buddhist world and particularly for Mongolia, where Buddhism remains an important part of the country's cultural heritage. "Revered across the Buddhist world as symbols of wisdom, compassion and enlightenment, the holy relics carry deep significance for Mongolia. Their exposition further strengthens the centuries-old spiritual bond between India and Mongolia -- nations connected through the shared legacy of Buddhism. For the Indian Air Force, this mission carried not just priceless relics, but faith, heritage and friendship across continents," the Indian Air Force added. The exposition will be inaugurated at the Ganden Monastery in Ulaanbaatar and will remain open for public veneration from June 1 to June 10. (ANI)
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