Special Postal Cover Released to Mark Buddha Relics Exposition in Leh

Leh: The Department of Posts, Jammu and Kashmir Postal Circle on Saturday issued a special cover to mark the historic exposition of the sacred relics of Tathagata Buddha in Leh, Union Territory of Ladakh.
The special cover was unveiled during a held at Jivetsal in Choglamsar, organised by the Union Territory Administration of Ladakh. Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu released the commemorative cover in the presence of Ladakh Chief Secretary Ashish Kundra and other dignitaries.
The event forms part of the 2569th Buddha Purnima celebrations, inaugurated by Union Home Minister Amit Shah during his two-day visit to Ladakh. The celebrations are being organised under the aegis of the Ministry of Culture, Government of India, in collaboration with the All Ladakh Buddhist Association and the All Ladakh Gonpa Association, under the theme “Peace Beyond Borders”.
Officials said the issuance of the special cover aims to preserve the significance of the rare and historic exposition in the philatelic records of the Department of Posts.
The sacred relics of Lord Buddha, excavated from the Piprahwa Stupa in present-day Uttar Pradesh in 1898, are being displayed publicly for the first time in decades. The revered relics were brought to Leh from Delhi aboard a special Indian Air Force aircraft by Drukpa Thuksey Rinpoche and Khenpo ThinlasChosal of Matho Monastery.
Thousands of devotees, many in traditional Ladakhi attire, gathered along the route from Leh airport to witness the arrival of the relics.
The relics will remain on public display at Jivetsal from May 2 to 10, followed by exhibitions in Zanskar on May 11 and 12, and at the Dharma Centre in Leh from May 13 to 14, before being returned to Delhi on May 15.
In his address, the Union Home Minister described Buddha Purnima as a momentous occasion for Ladakh, noting that the arrival of the sacred relics after decades would inspire people across communities and faiths.
Arvind Kher, Superintendent of Post Offices, Ladakh Postal Division, was also present on the occasion.