Kargil, Apr 30: Union Home Minister Amit Shah arrived in Ladakh on Thursday on his two-day Ladakh visit during which he will attend the first-ever international exposition of holy relics of Lord Buddha, officials said.
Home Minister Shah was received by Lieutenant Governor Ladakh V K Saxena and accorded a ceremonial welcome at the Kushok Bakula Rimpochee Airport here.
MP Ladakh Muhammad Haneefa, various political and religious leaders besides senior officials of the Police and civil administration were also present.
People from all walks of life, dressed up in traditional attire, queued up outside the airport, to accord a heartfelt welcome to the Home Minister.
During his two-day visit, Shah will pay respect to the sacred relics of lord Buddha on the Buddha Purnima, which falls on Friday.
He will also lay foundation stone for a 10 TLPD (thousand litres per day) capacity dairy plant in Kargil and attend other dairy-related programmes.
“It was an honour and a pleasure to welcome Minister of Home Affairs and Cooperation, Shri @amitshah ji, upon his arrival in Leh, for a two-day visit. People from all walks of life, dressed up in traditional attire, queued up outside the airport, to accord a heartfelt welcome to the Home Minister. He will be paying respects to the Holy Relics of lord Buddha, tomorrow on the occasion of the 2569th Buddha Purnima,” LG Ladakh said. “HM’s visit and his vision for the development of Ladakh shall motivate us to work for fulfilling the aspirations of the people of Ladakh,” he said.
Earlier, in an X post on Wednesday, Shah said it was a moment of profound good fortune for him.
“It is a moment of profound good fortune for me to be attending on the occasion of Buddha Purnima, the first ever international exposition of the holy relics of lord Buddha, commencing on May 1,” he said. “In this exposition, devotees from different parts of the world will offer veneration to the relics of lord Buddha.”
Shah’s visit is also significant from an administrative and developmental perspective.
Just before his arrival, the Centre approved the creation of five new districts in Ladakh – Zanskar, Drass, Sham, Nubra, and Changthang, raising the total number of districts in Ladakh from two to seven.
The decision is aimed at strengthening grassroots governance, improving public service delivery in remote and border areas, and ensuring faster administrative access for residents living in far-flung regions.
During his visit, the Home Minister is also expected to review key administrative matters and hold meetings with local administration officials and Indo-Tibetan Border Police officials regarding governance, border management, security preparedness, and development priorities.
Pertinently, The sacred Piprahwa relics of Buddha were brought to Leh in a special Indian Air Force aircraft on Wednesday by Drukpa Thuksey Rinpoche and Khenpo Thinlas Chosal of Matho Monastery.
The sacred relics were accorded a ceremonial reception on arrival, with people pouring out of their homes and gathering along the roads to pay respect.
The exposition to be held in the first two weeks of May marks the beginning of a rare and significant spiritual occasion in the Union Territory of Ladakh.
In Ladakh, the relics will be open for public veneration at Jivetsal from May 2 to 10.
They will subsequently be taken to Zanskar on May 11 and 12, followed by exposition at the Dharma Centre in Leh from May 13 to 14, before being returned to Delhi on May 15.
