Following Prime Minister Modi's visit, the United States returns 105 trafficked antiques to India

On Monday, the United States returned 105 trafficked antiquities to India at the Indian Consulate in New York. This event took place shortly after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's significant state visit, described as 'historic.' As per a government announcement, these artifacts represent a wide range of origins within India, with 47 originating from Eastern India, 27 from Southern India, 22 from Central India, six from Northern India, and three from Western India.

Approximately 50 of these antiquities have religious significance, pertaining to Hinduism, Jainism, and Islam, while the remainder hold cultural importance. The government statement also revealed that the artifacts are composed of materials such as terracotta, stone, metal, and wood, spanning from the 2nd-3rd century CE to the 18th-19th century CE.

At the repatriation ceremony, attended by officials from the Manhattan District Attorney's Office and the Homeland Security Investigation team, Ambassador Taranjit Singh Sandhu expressed gratitude to the United States and acknowledged that, for the people of India, these objects were not merely artistic pieces but an integral part of their living heritage and culture.

This recent batch brings the total number of cultural artifacts handed over by the US to India since 2016 to 278. During PM Modi's visit in 2016, 16 artifacts were returned, and in September of an unspecified year, 157 artifacts were also repatriated. The Indian government has been actively pursuing the recovery of stolen Indian antiquities from various countries, and the statement emphasized the close cooperation between India and the US in recent years regarding the restitution of such items.