Chinese archaeologists discovered Buddhist relics in Hubei Province of Central China

Chinese archaeologists on 13 January 2015 discovered Buddhist relics in Hubei province of Central China. These relics are believed to be from the cremated ashes of Buddhist masters.

The relics were discovered by a team of archaeologists led by Chen Qianwan, Head of the archaeology institute of Xiangyang City.

The rare Buddhist relics called sariras were discovered on the top of a tomb belonging to an official from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) at the foot of the Xianshan Mountain in Xiangyang.

The objects were found in late December 2014 and later identified by monks and researchers as sariras (relics). The researchers claimed that it is very rare to find sariras in a tomb, as they are usually unearthed at Buddhist temples. They believe the owner of the tomb was a Buddhist.

About Sarira

Sarira, meaning body or corpse, is a generic term used by Buddhists to refer to the remains of spiritual masters after their death. These holy relics are generally found in bead-shaped form.

The largest of the sariras has a diameter of about 3 centimetres. They vary in colour from red, purple, blue, cyan and orange in the light.