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Last updated: July 17, 2023, at 22:56 IST
New York, USA (USA)
The return ceremony for the 105 trafficked artifacts was held at the Indian Consulate in New York. (News 18)
About 50 of these artifacts are related to religious themes (Hinduism, Jainism, and Islam) while the rest have great cultural significance. The relics will soon be transferred to India
The United States on Monday handed over 105 smuggled antiquities to India at a deportation ceremony. The event was held at the Indian Consulate in New York.
The 105 artifacts included in the ceremony represent the wide geographic spread of Indian culture and its historical significance. The press release said the artifacts, which span from the second to the thirteenth centuries AD to the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries AD, are made of clay, stone, metal and wood.
About 50 of these artifacts are related to religious themes (Hinduism, Jainism, and Islam) while the rest have great cultural significance. The relics will soon be transferred to India.
Speaking on the occasion, India’s Ambassador to the US, Taranjit Singh Sandhu, expressed his gratitude to the US government, particularly Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and the Anti-Trafficking Unit and Homeland Security Investigations Team for their excellent cooperation and support.
“For the people of India, these were not just pieces of art but part of their living heritage and culture,” Taranjit Singh Sandhu was quoted by ANI as saying.
The event comes on the heels of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s historic visit to the US in June where President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden hosted him for dinner at the White House and addressed a session of the US Congress.
Modi’s government is making a concerted effort to return stolen Indian antiquities.
During Prime Minister Modi’s visit to the US in 2016, 16 antiques were handed over from the US side.
Similarly, in 2021, the US government handed over 157 artifacts that returned to India after the Prime Minister’s visit to the US in September 2021.
Meanwhile, the US-India Business Council on Thursday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s landmark visit to the US last month sparked an unprecedented partnership for prosperity and security.
Prime Minister Modi’s visit to the United States
During his visit to the US, PM Modi’s speech to a joint session of the US Congress was highly appreciated and welcomed by the Republican Senators.
He received 15 standing ovations, and 79 applause as members of the US Congress were seen lining up to take autographs and selfies.
US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden also hosted a state dinner on June 22 for Prime Minister Modi.
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