PM Narendra Modi to bring home 157 artefacts, antiquities handed over to him by US

PM Modi were handed over 157 artefacts and antiquities by the US. The PM conveyed his deep appreciation for the repatriation of antiquities to India by the United States.

The list of 157 artefacts includes items ranging from the one and a half metre bas relief panel of Revanta in sandstone of the 10th CE to the 8.5cm tall, exquisite bronze Nataraja from the 12th CE. The items mostly belong to the period of 11th CE to 14th CE as well as historic antiquities such as the copper anthropomorphic object of 2000BC or the terracotta vase from the 2nd CE. Around 45 of these antiquities belong to Before Common Era. 

While 71 of the artefacts are cultural, 60 consists of figurines that relate to Hinduism 60, 16 to Buddhism and 9 to Jainism. Their make spreads across metal, stone and terracotta.

The bronze collection primarily contains ornate figurines of the well-known postures of Lakshmi Narayana, Buddha, Vishnu, Siva Parvathi and the 24 Jain Tirthankaras and the less common Kankalamurti, Brahmi and Nandikesa besides other unnamed deities and divine figures. 

The motifs include religious sculptures from Hinduism (Three headed Brahma, Chariot Driving Surya, Vishnu and his Consorts, Siva as Dakshinamurti, Dancing Ganesha etc), Buddhism (Standing Buddha, Boddhisattva Majushri, Tara) and Jainism (Jain Tirthankara, Padmasana Tirthankara, Jaina Choubisi) as well as secular motifs (Amorphous couple in Samabhanga, Chowri Bearer, Female playing drum etc).

There are 56 terracotta pieces (Vase 2nd CE, Pair of Deer 12th CE, Bust of Female 14th CE) and an 18th CE sword with sheath with inscription mentioning Guru Hargovind Singh in Persian). 

This continues the efforts by the Modi Government to bring back our antiquities and artefacts from across the world.