PM Modi to bring back 157 artefacts from US, one of them 7,000 years old

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will bring back 157 pieces of Indian artefacts and antiquities from the United States. The BJP leader returns to India after holding a bilateral meet with President Joe Biden, attending the Quad and addressing the United Nations General Assembly. 

The United States handed over the artefacts to Modi during his visit as both he and President Joe Biden expressing commitment to strengthening efforts to combat theft, illicit trade and trafficking of cultural objects, government sources told PTI. 

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“While nearly half of the artefacts (71) are cultural, the other half consists of figurines related to Hinduism (60), Buddhism (16) and Jainism (9),” an official statement said on Saturday.

The lost of artefacts includes the ne-and-a-half metre bas relief panel of Revanta in sandstone of the 10th CE to the 8.5 cm tall, exquisite bronze Nataraja from the 12th CE.

The statement noted that the motifs include religious sculptures from Hinduism– three headed Brahma, chariot driving Surya, Vishnu and his consorts, Siva as Dakshinamurti and dancing Ganesha among others, Buddhism– standing Buddha, Boddhisattva Majushri, Tara, and Jainism– Jain Tirthankara, Padmasana Tirthankara, Jaina Choubisi, as well as secular motifs, including amorphous couple in Samabhanga and chowri-bearer female playing drum among others.

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There are 56 terracotta pieces and an 18th CE sword with sheath with inscription mentioning Guru Hargovind Singh in Persian, it added.

This continues the efforts by the Modi government to bring back our antiquities and artefacts from across the world,” the government said.

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Modi on Saturday said that he represents a country which is proud to be known as the mother of democracy and cited his own rise from a tea seller at a railway station to that as prime minister to underscore the strength of India’s democracy.

Addressing the high-level United Nations General Assembly session here, Modi said: “We have had a great tradition of democracy that goes back to thousands of years”.