The Piprahwa Gems of the Historical Buddha Mauryan Empire, Ashokan Era, circa 240-200 BCE, was scheduled for 7 May.
In a letter to the auction house, the Indian government said that the relics constituted "the inalienable religious and cultural heritage of India and the global Buddhist community. Their sale violates Indian and international laws, as well as United Nations conventions."
Sotheby's confirmed that the auction had been postponed in an email to the ABC.
"In light of the matters raised by the Government of India and with the agreement of the consignors, the auction of the Piprahwa Gems of the Historical Buddha, scheduled for 7th May, has been postponed," the company said.
"This will allow for discussions between the parties, and we look forward to sharing any updates as appropriate."
Known as the Piprahwa gems, this collection has been held by a museum or a state, but rather by the family of William Claxton Peppé, the English explorer who excavated the holy burial ground in 1898.
Chris Peppé, one of three descendants who now possess the items, told the BBC that the family had explored donating the collection to various Buddhist stakeholders; however, doing so would have presented 'unspecified problems'.
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