Lunchtime Lecture: Artefacts or Relics?

The recent attempt to sell the relics of the Buddha excavated from the ancient stupa at Piprahwa has raised several questions. Are they primarily colonial archaeological finds, edifying specimens of native cultures or holy relics? Indian and international imperatives around sacred remains have changed since their discovery as have ethics in archaeology. In this lecture Prof. Ahuja will explain how relics are defined in Buddhism, their role in geopolitics, changes in the law, and how these shifts impact museology.

Speaker biography 
Naman P. Ahuja is Professor of art history at Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi and the General Editor of Marg.