PM Modi brought back 157 artefacts from his trip to USA, that were handed over by Biden. Know more about these artefacts.
As he concluded his 3-days USA trip, Prime Minister Narendra Modi brought back home 157 artefacts that were handed over to India by the USA President Joe Biden, both of them expressing their commitment towards strengthening efforts to combat theft, illicit trade and trafficking of cultural objects.
Nearly half of the artefacts (71) are cultural, while the other half consists of figurines related to Hinduism (60), Buddhism (16), and Jainism (9). Approximately 45 of them belong to Before Common Era.
PM Modi conveyed his appreciation for the repatriation of antiquities to India by United States.
As per the government, PM Modi continues bringing the stolen artefacts from around the world, which are either returned or are in the process of being returned.
Between 1976 and 2013, only 13 antiquities were retrieved from different countries, but between 2014 and 2021, as Modi took the position, over 200 artefacts have been brought home.
The Modi government has brought more ancient Indian treasures than the four decades before it.
Some of the artefacts are listed here:
- Bronze and Sandstone Artefacts
The bronze collects mostly contains ornate figurines of Laxmi Narayana, Buddha, Vishnu, Siva Parvathi, 24 Jain Tirthankaras and Kankalamurti, Brahmi and Nandikesa besides other unnamed divine figures and deities.
There is also a one-and-a-half metre bas relief panel of Revanta in sandstone of the 10th CE and the 8.5 cm tall bronze Nataraj from the 12th CE.
- Terracotta and Copper artefacts
The items majorly belong to the period of 11th CE to 14th CE as well as historic antiquities, which include copper anthropomorphic object of 2000 BC or the terracotta vase from the 2nd CE.
There are, in total, 56 terracotta pieces.
- Hindu Sculptures
Some religious sculptures belonging to Hinduism are also on the list, which includes a Three-headed Brahma, Chariot-driving Surya, Vishnu and his consorts, Siva as Dakshinamurti and Dancing Ganesha.
- Buddhist Sculptures
The motifs include sculptures from Buddhism, which consists of a Standing Buddha, Boddhisattva Majushri, Tara and Jainism – Jain Tirthankara, Padmasana Tirthankara, Jaina Choubisi, as well as secular motifs like Amorphous couple in Samabhanga, Chowri Bearer, and a Female playing drum.
Among other artefacts, there is also an 18th CE sword with a sheath and an inscription mentioning Guru Hargovind Singh in Persian.