LEH: Home minister Amit Shah on Friday led thousands of Buddhists to celebrate the return of the mortal remains of Lord Buddha to, what he called, the “living land of Dhamma”.With the holy bone relics returning to Ladakh after 1950, Leh city wore a festive look, and men, women and children — dressed in traditional attires — poured in from all over the UT into ‘Jivetsal’ to watch the auspicious ceremony, which was marked by prayers and rituals.Speaking at the inauguration of the fortnight-long exposition of the sacred Piprahwa relics, Shah said their return to Ladakh after 75 years is a “historic reunion”.The celebrations are expected to reinforce India’s credentials as the homeland of Lord Buddha and Buddhism — something which, while rooted in irrefutable facts, have been sought to be questioned by a few.In his speech, Shah recalled the Dalai Lama’s statement that Ladakh is not just a geographical entity but a living laboratory of Buddhist culture and compassion. He also said the message propagated by Indian civilisation for thousands of years has become even more relevant today as it shows that “amid unrest and conflict” only peace and compassion can lead to solutions.The festivities in the city on Buddha Purnima offer a stark contrast from the violence that had broken out last year over the statehood issue.The 2569th Buddha Purnima is not only a “momentous religious occasion”, but also a “historic reunion”, as after so many years Tathagata Buddha through these relics has returned to Ladakh, Shah said.The minister said he agreed with Ladakh Buddhist Association President Tsering Dorjay Lakrook’s remarks that when in 1950 the relics would have come, very few people would have been able to pay their respects to the relics as that time the difficult terrain lacked accessibility and infrastructure.“However, today after 75 years when these relics have arrived I have full faith that Buddhists of Leh and Kargil, and people of other faiths too will be able to pay their respect,” Shah said.Over the years, the Piprahwa bone relics of Lord Buddha have been exhibited in several countries, including Thailand, Mongolia, Vietnam, Russia, Singapore, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and Myanmar, drawing global attention and devotion.The relics — associated with Piprahwa stupa in Kapilvastu (in present-day UP), the homeland of the Sakya clan of Lord Shakyamuni Buddha — were excavated in 1898 by Willaim Claxton Peppe. The sacred relics serve as profound symbols of the Buddha’s living presence and his universal teachings.Dwelling on the theme of the exposition “Peace Beyond Borders” Ladakh LG VK Saxena said at a time when the world is surrounded by unrest and ideological conflicts, this event is most relevant and timely.LBA President Tsering Dorjay said the festive mood among people had been shaped by what they saw as signs in nature since the relics reached Leh like a rainbow was sighted above Spituk Monastery.