India, May 7 -- The auction of the Piprahwa relics, linked to Lord Buddha and originally scheduled for May 7 by Sotheby's Hong Kong, has been postponed, a statement issued the ministry of culture said on Wednesday.

Sotheby's Hong Kong informed the ministry via email late on Tuesday that the auction would be postponed, and proposed further discussions on the matter. The auction page was subsequently removed from the Sotheby's website.

The ministry, in collaboration with the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and the external affairs ministry (MEA), said it will advance discussions with the relevant stakeholders on the repatriation of the relics to India.

The artifacts, excavated in 1898 from the Piprahwa Stupa in Uttar Pradesh, includ...