PM Modi brings home 157 artefacts from US; over 200 returned since 2014

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday (September 26) brought home 157 artefacts and antiques from the United States. During his visit, PM Modi and US President Joe Biden emphasized their commitment to bolstering efforts to prevent cultural object theft, illegal trading, and trafficking. The 157 relics range from the one-and-a-half metre bas relief panel of Revanta in sandstone from the 10th CE to the 8.5 cm tall beautiful bronze Nataraja from the 12th CE.

According to an official statement, 71 of the artefacts are cultural, while the other half are figures linked to Hinduism (60), Buddhism (16), and Jainism (9). 

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With this, the Modi administration has brought 200 artefacts from around the world back to India. According to government sources, India only recovered 13 artefacts from other nations between 1976 and 2013. However, they noted that between 2014, when PM Modi took office, and 2021, approximately 200 artefacts have either been returned or are in the process of being repatriated.