New Delhi:
In a historic move, 29 antiquities have been repatriated from Australia to India. These antiquities range into six broad categories according to themes – Lord Shiva and his disciples, worshiping Shakti, Lord Vishnu and his forms, Jain tradition, portraits and decorative objects.
The antiquities are from different time periods, the earliest dating to the 9-10 century CE.
These are mainly sculptures and paintings made of different materials – sandstone, marble, bronze, brass and paper.
The antiquities represent a large geographical area in India and are from Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and West Bengal.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inspected the antiquities.
In a catalog of the antiquities shared by the government, one of them – Shiva and his disciples – is shown as belonging to the 9th-10th century CE. The material is sandstone and the origin is named as Rajasthan.
India has brought in various antiquities from other countries over the years.
Last September, Prime Minister Modi brought in 157 artifacts and antiquities from the US, where he and US President Joe Biden are also committed to strengthening efforts to fight theft, illicit trafficking and trafficking of cultural goods.
PM Modi and Australian counterpart Scott Morrison are holding a virtual summit today.