After PM Modi's State visit, US returns 105 antiquities to India
New York/IBNS: Days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's US State visit, a total of 105 antiquities, spanning a period from 2nd-3rd Century CE to 18th-19th Century CE, are being returned to India by American authorities.
Some of the valuables were returned to India during a ceremony at the Consulate General of India in New York on Monday morning.
India's Ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu, Consul General Randhir Jaiswal and officials from the Manhattan District Attorney's Office were present at the ceremony.
105 Indian antiquities to return home!
— Taranjit Singh Sandhu (@SandhuTaranjitS) July 17, 2023
Delighted to attend a ceremony in #NewYork this morning, marking the restitution of 🇮🇳 artifacts following PM @narendramodi’s State Visit.
Appreciate the cooperation extended by 🇺🇸 in protection & exchange of cultural property@PMOIndia pic.twitter.com/MKd1FPRI3L
Addressing the ceremony, Sandhu said the 100 antiquities being repatriated to India are "not just art but part of our heritage, culture and religion."
The 105 artifacts represent a wide geographical spread in terms of their origin in India - with 47 from Eastern India, 27 from Southern India, 22 from Central India, 6 from Northern India, and 3 from Western India, an official release said.
