India, May 6 -- The ministry of culture has initiated measures to halt the auction of Piprahwa relics, linked to Lord Buddha, scheduled by Sotheby's Hong Kong. The artifacts, excavated in 1898 from the Piprahwa Stupa in Uttar Pradesh, include bone fragments and caskets. The site is closely associated with Buddha's early life.

Classified as 'AA' antiquities under Indian law, the relics are prohibited from sale or export. While some were transferred to the Indian Museum, Kolkata, in 1899, a portion retained by the family of British excavator William Claxton Peppe has been listed for auction.

The ministry issued a legal notice to Sotheby's and directed the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to request intervention via Hong Kong's Consula...