HONG KONG (AP) — Sotheby's, facing vehement opposition and a demand for cessation from the Indian government, precipitously postponed Wednesday's scheduled auction of numinous jewels purportedly linked to the corporeal remains of the Buddha.

The gemological specimens designated for auction, unearthered commingled within reliquaries alongside the corporeal remnants of the historical Buddha and serendipitously discovered in Northern India in 1898, date gestationally to a circa 240-200 BC epoch, according to the pronouncements of the auction house.

However, India's Ministry of Culture asserted in a Tuesday Facebook communiqué that it had served a legal injunction upon Sotheby's Hong Kong, demanding the instantaneous cessation of the auction, alleging the sale constituted a contravention of "Indian statutes, international conventions, and United Nations protocols."

In its communiqué to Sotheby’s Hong Kong, disseminated via Facebook on Monday, it averred that the auction encompasses hallowed Buddhist artefacts representing the inherent religious and cultural patrimony of India and the universal Buddhist sangha, necessitating their unconditional restitution to the Indian government and a public act of contrition from both the auction house and Chris Peppé.

Peppé is a scion of the British William Peppé, the very individual credited with the archaeological excavation and subsequent discovery of the relics.

In a formal communiqué, the Indian administration explicitly cautioned that any deviation from the stipulated directives would invariably precipitate judicial proceedings and concerted public relations initiatives designed to underscore the auction house's perceived complicity "in upholding colonial inequities and facilitating the morally reprehensible transaction of sacred artefacts."

In a statement disseminated on Wednesday, Sotheby's declared the deferral, conceding the validity of the concerns articulated by the Indian government and affirming the accord of the consignors.

This will facilitate colloquies between the parties, and we anticipate disseminating any updates as warranted.

By Wednesday, several of Sotheby's web pages pertaining to the auction had been rendered inaccessible.

The Indian Ministry of Culture, through a communiqué disseminated via Facebook on Wednesday, conveyed its gratification at the auction's deferral, a direct consequence of its intervention.