The military jet C-130J-30 carried the Buddha sarira from India's New Delhi to Tan Son Nhat Airport at around 7:40 a.m., traversing 5,100 kilometers.
The relic was then brought to the Buddhist Academy in Binh Chanh District so the public can come see it starting 6 a.m. on Saturday.
The sarira is brought from the plane to the VIP area of the airport for a reception ceremony.
Photo courtesy of Vietnam Buddhism
Thich Tri Quang, Supreme Patriarch of the Verification Council of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha, and monks participate in a reception ceremony for the sarira at the airport.
Photo courtesy of Vietnam Buddhism
Outside the airport, people brought Buddhist flags and flowers as they waited on Truong Son Street of Tan Binh District. Many prayed at the vehicle that was carrying the sarira.
Buddhists kneel along the streets of Ho Chi Minh City as the vehicle carrying the Buddha sarira drives past. Video by Tuan Viet
At 9 a.m., after the ceremony is completed, an entourage escort the Buddha sarira towards the Buddhist Academy in Binh Chanh District, located about 25 kilometers away from the airport.
The Buddha sarira is a national relic of India, and is stored at the National Museum in New Delhi. In accordance with India's diplomatic protocols, the Buddha sarira's arrival in another country equates to a visit by a head of state.
The Buddha sarira in the box. Photo courtesy of Vietnam Buddhism
The relic includes a bone part belonging to the religion's founder. It was discovered by English archaeologist William Claxton Peppe in Kapilavastu in 1898.
In 1997, the Buddhist community in Thailand and artisans made a gold-plated tower to honor and worship the Buddha sarira.
The Buddha sarira is brought to the Buddhist Academy. Hundreds of Buddhists are present to welcome the relic.
Buddhists may come to see the sarira at the Thanh Tam Pagoda, located inside the Academy, from 6 a.m. May 3 to 8.
In the afternoon of May 8, the sarira will be brought to the Ba Den Mountain national tourism site in Tay Ninh Province that borders HCMC. From May 8 to 21, it would be stored at the Quan Su Pagoda in Hanoi and the Tam Chuc Pagoda in Ha Nam Province that borders Hanoi.
