25/09/2025
A Buddhist festival is underway in Russia.
Buddha Jayanti falls on Vijayadashami. This year, Gandhi Jayanti also falls on that day. The festival is being held in a way that it will conclude on October 2. This is of great significance to the Buddha Gandhi Marg Trust.
As part of this, the first exhibition of sacred Buddhist relics from the National Museum of India, -
in Elista, the capital of the Republic of Kalmykia, Russia -from September 24-28, 2025 -is being organized by the Ministry of Culture of India and the International Buddhist Confederation in collaboration with other Indian institutions.
It is hoped that this event will help attract Buddhist communities from all over the world and foster spiritual and cultural exchanges.
The event is part of a broader effort to strengthen cultural and spiritual ties between India and the predominantly Buddhist region of Kalmykia.
Discussions for the initiative include establishing sister-nation relations between Kalmykia and an Indian state to enhance cooperation in tourism, education and spiritual heritage.
This is the latest in a series of Indian cultural events and collaborations in Russia, which have previously included a Festival of India and the inauguration of Europe's tallest Buddha statue.
Vedagni Arun Sooryagayathri