Sri Lankan Minister for Buddha Sasana, Gamini Jayawickrema Perera along with Parliamentarians, High Commissioner of Pakistan Dr. Shahid Ahmad Hashmat as well as Senior Monks, high ranking government officials, religious scholars, received the relics amidst hordes of devotees.

From Pakistan, Curator of Taxila Museum brought the Sacred Relics, said a press release received from Colombo.

The exposition of the most sacred relics will commence at Gangaramaya Temple and the Temple Trees on 29th May 2018.

Thereafter, it will be exhibited at famous temples across the country until May 16, 2018. The Relics will be in Colombo for a four-day exposition from 29th April to May 2. After that, the Relics will be taken to Wellampitiya, Kalutara, Galle, Matara, Kurunegalla, Anuradhapura and Kandy. Afterwards, the Relics will be brought back to Colombo on May 16, 2018.

These Relics were originally discovered near the Dharmarajika stupa, the earliest and largest Buddhist complex at Taxila, which was built in the 3rd century BCE to enshrine the redistributed relics of the Buddha by the famous Mauryan king Asoka who was also known as Dharmaraja for his services to Buddhism.

Dharmarajika was excavated by Ghulam Qadir in 1912-16 under the directions of Sir John Marshall and A.D. Siddiqui in 1934-36. The advent and development of Buddhism owe a great deal to the ancient land of Pakistan.