New Delhi — The Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA), under its Brihattar Bharat and Area Studies division, inaugurated a deeply evocative exhibition titled “Footsteps of the Buddha: A Sacred Map” on August 1, 2025. The exhibition is a tribute to the transformative journey of Gautama Buddha and the extensive reach of his teachings across Asia.
Rooted in the timeless aspiration “Buddhasasanam Chiram Tisthatu” (“May the Buddha’s Teachings Endure Forever”), the exhibition is built around a hand-crafted fibre map developed over a year of meticulous research and artistic dedication. This map does more than showcase geography—it captures spiritual memory, awakening, and transmission. It marks the four sacred sites of Buddhism—Lumbini, Bodhgaya, Sarnath, and Kusinagara—as living monuments, not merely historical points.
The map extends beyond India, tracing the path of the Dharma across ancient Buddhist sites such as Mathura, Gandhara, Khotan, Luoyang, Dunhuang, Yangon, Angkor Wat, Borobudur, and others. It tells a story of how the Buddha’s teachings were carried by monks, pilgrims, scholars, and emissaries across deserts and seas, shaping the cultural and spiritual contours of a continent.
Present at the exhibition as the Chief Guest, Venerable Geshe Dorji Damdul offered profound insights. He emphasized that before sharing the Buddha’s wisdom with the world, one must first embody it. “Before we spread compassion, we must ask—am I happy, is my family happy?” he said, underscoring that compassion must begin at home. Drawing a powerful analogy, he added, “Just as one cannot export gold without possessing it, we cannot share the Buddha’s wisdom unless we live it.”
Observing the 90th birth anniversary of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and marking 2025 as the Year of Compassion, Geshe Damdul urged people to cultivate compassion within themselves to genuinely reflect the essence of the Dharma.
Smt. Lily Pandeya, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Culture, spoke about a historic cultural recovery—the respectful repatriation of sacred relics of the Buddha to India from an impending international auction. This repatriation was made possible through a public-private collaboration with Godrej Industries Group, reflecting the Indian government’s commitment to retrieving cultural heritage under the Prime Minister’s vision. The relics, which arrived in Delhi on July 30, are now under the care of the National Museum. She further revealed plans for a major exhibition combining these relics with IGNCA’s sacred map model.
Dr. Sachchidanand Joshi, Member Secretary of IGNCA, called the convergence of the relics’ return and the exhibition’s launch a moment of “profound joy.” He emphasized the exhibition’s importance for youth and encouraged educational institutions to explore it. According to him, engaging with the Buddha’s life leads to inner transformation and introspection—values vital in today’s fast-paced world.
Prof. Dharma Chand Choubey, Head of the Brihattar Bharat and South-East Asian Studies Unit, described the exhibition as a powerful visual narrative. It maps Prince Siddhartha’s journey to becoming the Buddha and the spread of his message across civilisations. He highlighted the sacrifices of monks and scholars who carried the Dharma beyond India, portraying the map not merely as art, but as a testament to civilisational ethics, science, and knowledge systems.
Monks and nuns from Mongolia and Vietnam, along with other dignitaries such as Shri Shyam Parande, Dr. Priyanka Mishra, Shri Ravindra Pant, Shri Bal Mukund Pandey, and Dr. Ajay Mishra, were present and contributed to the reflections.
More than just an exhibition, “Footsteps of the Buddha” is a civilisational narrative. It honours the courage, devotion, and resilience of those who carried the message of peace across borders. IGNCA, through this initiative, reaffirms India’s role as Vishwamitra—a friend to the world—offering the timeless wisdom of the Buddha as a path toward global harmony and unity.
The exhibition is open to the public until August 15, inviting all to walk in the footsteps of peace, compassion, and spiritual awakening.
