 Summary of this article
- Being the birthplace of Buddha, India holds a vital position in the Buddhist community worldwide. However, recently, China has begun using Buddhism as a form of soft power to increase its influence
- China aims to establish its dominance in Asia and around the world, not only through economic and military power, but also through cultural diplomacy, particularly via Buddhism
- The opening of ‘The Light and the Lotus: Relics of the Awakened One’, to display the rare Piprahwa Gems, excavated in 1898 in Uttar Pradesh, is a step in the right direction
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on January 3, inaugurated an exhibition—‘The Light and the Lotus: Relics of the Awakened One’—in New Delhi to present the rare Piprahwa Gems, a sacred Buddhist relic. The gems were excavated in 1898 by British engineer William Claxton Pappe from the Piprahwa stupa in Kapilvastu, situated in Siddharth Nagar District of Uttar Pradesh.
The exhibition is not merely a cultural or spiritual event. The larger aim of the Indian foreign policyis to counter China’s influence on the global Buddhist world. Through Buddhism and by adopting soft power diplomacy, the Indian government is looking to reach out to Buddhist-majority countries and populations across the world. The inauguration of the exhibition was a step in that direction. The process had been long-winded, but carefully thought through.
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