Cultural artifacts must be repatriated to their homelands as they not only alter the cultural and social identity of the local people but also impact the precious human emotion- faith! Commemorating this faith and belief, India received 297 antiquities following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the USA. Together with this return, India has recovered a total of 640 artifacts since 2014, including 578 returned from the USA.
Though a myriad of cultural artifacts still hold their place in looted land, especially Western museums, India is doing its best to gain the maximum of them back. Mr. Modi has expressed gratitude on X,
“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.”
Witnessing this handling of antiquities as a symbol of a strong relationship between the USA and India, the duo also signed the first-ever Cultural Property Agreement to prevent the illegal trafficking of cultural property and retrieval of antiquities. With this milestone, there might be a possibility that Western museums can be vacuous.
Meanwhile, it is not the first time Mr. Prime Minister has used his visit for the return of the antiquities to India. Earlier in 2021, 157 artifacts were handed by the US government including the exemplar bronze Nataraja statue and then 105 antiquities returned after his visit in 2023.
According to MEA, during this takeover, some of the notable antiquities are the Sandstone ‘Apsara’ from central India, which dates back to the 10th-11th century CE, a bronze Jain Tirthankar from the 15th-16th century CE, a terracotta vase from eastern India from the 3rd-4th century CE, and a stone sculpture from South India dating between the 1st century BCE and 1st century CE.
Other important artifacts include a bronze Lord Ganesh from South India from the 17th-18th century CE, a sandstone statue of a standing Lord Buddha from North India from the 15th-16th century CE, and a bronze Lord Vishnu from Eastern India, also from the 17th-18th century CE.
The audacious move by India to bring back its identity the culture is an immense approach to uniting India through divine knowledge. The least Indians can do is visit the barren Indian museums to rediscover their heritage and the excellent craftsmanship of their pasts.
Featured Image: American President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the latter receives stolen Indian Antiquities; Narendra Modi on X.
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