- Tuesday, February 25, 2025
By: Shubham Ghosh
THE Narendra Modi government has thanked the office of the New York district attorney over its “excellent support” in returning more than 150 antiquities to India and appreciated the role it played in promoting India-US people-to-people links and cultural understanding by means of restituting the valuable artefacts.
Modi, who went to the US for a three-day visit last week, brought back the artefacts numbering 157. They were handed over to India by the US during his stay in the US with both him and American president Joe Biden expressing commitment to strengthening efforts to combat theft and trafficking of cultural objects.
ALSO READ: Modi meets Biden: Launching a new chapter?
While 71 of the artefacts are cultural, 60 are figurines that are related to Hinduism, 16 to Buddhism and nine to Jainism, an official statement said on Saturday (25). The artefacts include a diverse set of items ranging from the one-and-a-half metre bas relief panel of Revanta in sandstone of the 10th century to the 8.5 cm tall, exquisite bronze Nataraja from the 12th century.
Modi also appreciated the repatriation of the antiquities.
In a tweet, the consulate general of India in New York tweeted on Sunday (26), “@IndiainNewYork deeply appreciates the role played by the Office of District Attorney of New York @ManhattanDA to enhance India-US people-to-people links & cultural understanding through restitution of #antiquities.”
“On behalf of the Govt of India, @IndiainNewYork profusely thanks the Office of District Attorney of #NewYork County @ManhattanDA & its restitution team for their excellent support in return of #antiquities to #India. Look forward to their continued support,” it said, tagging India’s ministry of external affairs and some pictures of Modi with the artefacts.
On behalf of the Govt of India, @IndiainNewYork profusely thanks the Office of District Attorney of #NewYork County @ManhattanDA & its restitution team for their excellent support in return of #antiquities to #India. Look forward to their continued support.???? @MEAIndia pic.twitter.com/XpaEjn4gly
— India in New York (@IndiainNewYork) September 26, 2021
