Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday announced that India will send the sacred relics of Lord Buddha’s two chief disciples, Sariputra and Maudgalyayana, to Mongolia next year, further deepening the spiritual and cultural ties between the two nations.

Addressing a joint press conference with Mongolian President Khurelsukh Ukhnaa after their talks at Hyderabad House, Modi said the India-Mongolia relationship goes beyond diplomacy, rooted in shared Buddhist heritage and spiritual kinship. “Both countries have been bound for centuries by the thread of Buddhism, making us spiritual siblings,” he said.

Modi also announced that India will send a Sanskrit teacher to Mongolia’s Gandan Monastery to promote the study of Buddhist texts and link the Monastery with Nalanda University to strengthen academic collaboration. He highlighted that the Nalanda tradition has played a vital role in the spread of Buddhism to Mongolia.

Earlier in the day, President Khurelsukh planted a banyan tree sapling under the “Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam” initiative, symbolizing the two nations’ shared commitment to sustainability and friendship.

To mark 70 years of diplomatic relations and 10 years of their Strategic Partnership, India and Mongolia also released a joint postal stamp celebrating their shared heritage. Modi further announced free e-visas for Mongolian citizens and India’s sponsorship of annual cultural exchanges involving young Mongolian ambassadors.

Recalling his 2015 visit to Mongolia, Modi said, “Over the past decade, our partnership has deepened across all sectors, including defence and security.”

The announcements reaffirm India’s commitment to strengthening people-to-people and cultural ties with Mongolia, a country that shares India’s deep-rooted Buddhist traditions.