A rare statue of Lord Buddha, at least fourteen hundred years old, was showcased at an exhibition organized to mark the 50th anniversary of a cultural exchange programme between India and Japan at National Museum in New Delhi on Thursday (November 27).

According to RRS Chauhan, National Museum Director, also in-charge of the Exhibition, the original statue was never found in India and it's still a mystery if this was the original statue or a reproduction of the same.

The invaluable statue of Buddha was kept at Zenkoji temple located in Nagano town in Japan where cows are worshipped as the incarnation of Lord Buddha. The Zenko-ji was originally built in the 6th century, during the reign of Emperor Kimmei. Currently, the Zenko-ji is one of the last few remaining pilgrimage sites in Japan.

In 1957, during his visit to Japan, the then Prime Minister of India Jawaharlal Nehru had presented two white cows as a symbol of friendship between India and Japan.