During Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ongoing visit, the US handed “297 antiquities” to India that had been smuggled out of the country, an official statement on Sunday said.
The official statement from the Prime Minister's Office said “On the occasion of the visit of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi to the United States, the US side facilitated the return of 297 antiquities that had been stolen or trafficked from India.”
PM Modi also took to X to share the news, saying, “Deepening cultural connect and strengthening the fight against illicit trafficking of cultural properties. I am extremely grateful to President Biden and the US Government for ensuring the return of 297 invaluable antiquities to India.”
Additionally, he posted pictures of the returned antiquities alongside President Joe Biden.
He thanked Joe Biden for supporting the return of these artefacts, emphasising that they are not merely part of India's historical material culture, but also represent the core of its civilisation and consciousness, according to the
Sources cited by PTI highlighted that the illicit trafficking of cultural property has been a persistent issue impacting many cultures and nations throughout history, with India being particularly affected.
All about the antiquities
The antiquities span nearly 4,000 years, from 2000 BCE to 1900 CE, and originate from various regions across India, according to PMO's statement.
Most of these artefacts are terracotta items from Eastern India, while others are crafted from stone, metal, wood, and ivory, representing different parts of the country.
According to the government, since 2016, the US has played a key role in returning a significant number of trafficked or stolen antiquities. During the Prime Minister's visit to the US in June 2016, 10 antiquities were returned, followed by 157 in September 2021, and 105 more during his visit in June last year. In total, 578 cultural artefacts have been repatriated from the US to India since 2016, the highest number of returns by any country.
Additionally, in July 2024, on the sidelines of the 46th World Heritage Committee meeting in New Delhi, India and the United States signed their first 'Cultural Property Agreement' to prevent and combat the illicit trafficking of antiquities from India to the US.
Here are some notable antiquities handed over:
Apsara in sandstone from Central India belonging to 10-11th century CE
Jain Tirthankar in bronze from Central India belonging to 15-16th century CE
Terracotta vase from Eastern India belonging to 3-4th century CE
Stone Sculpture from South India belonging to 1st century BCE-1st century CE
Lord Ganesh in Bronze from South India belonging to 17-18th century CE
Standing Lord Buddha in sandstone from North India belonging 15-16th century CE
Lord Vishnu in Bronze from Eastern India belonging to 17-18th century CE
Anthropomorphic figure in copper from North India belonging to 2000-1800 BCE
Lord Krishna in bronze from South India belonging to 17-18th century CE
Lord Karthikeya in granite from South India belonging to 13-14th century CE
Source: Hindustan Times