US Returns Nearly 300 Stolen Antiquities to India During PM Modi’s Visit

A total of 297 antiquities stolen from India were returned to Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his US visit on Saturday.

With this, the total number of recovered Indian artefacts from the US since 2016 has reached 578, marking the highest number of antiquities returned by any country to India.

Expressing his gratitude, PM Modi thanked the US government and President Joe Biden for their support. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), he stated, “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.”

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. @POTUS @JoeBiden pic.twitter.com/0jziIYZ1GO

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 22, 2024

Some of these antiquities were presented to PM Modi and President Biden during their bilateral meeting at Biden’s residence in Delaware, in a symbolic handover.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the returned antiquities span over 4,000 years, ranging from 2000 BCE to 1900 CE, and originate from various parts of India. Most are terracotta artefacts from Eastern India, while others are crafted from stone, metal, wood, and ivory.

The MEA highlighted the growing importance of cultural property restitution in India-US relations. Since 2016, the US has facilitated the return of numerous stolen Indian antiquities. Notably, during PM Modi’s previous US visits, 157 antiquities were returned in 2021, including a 12th-century bronze Nataraja statue, and 105 in 2023.

In July 2023, India and the US signed their first-ever ‘Cultural Property Agreement’ to curb the illicit trafficking of cultural artefacts between the two nations, further strengthening their cultural cooperation.