The United States will return 297 precious Indian cultural relics that were smuggled out of the country-Prime Minister Modi visits the United States 297

Illegal trafficking of cultural property has been an old problem that has affected many cultures and countries throughout history. India has been particularly affected by this problem, with a large number of ancient artifacts or cultural relics being smuggled out of the country. During Prime Minister Modi’s visit to the United States, 297 cultural relics were handed over to India. These archaeological artifacts reached the United States through illegal smuggling.

This brings the total number of antiquities recovered by India since 2014 to 640. The total number of archaeological remains returned from the United States alone has reached 578. Apart from this visit, PM Modi’s previous visits to the United States have also been particularly successful in returning artifacts to India.

Only one artifact was returned between 2004 and 2013

During Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the US in 2021, the US government handed over 157 artifacts, including a beautiful 12th-century bronze statue of Nataraja. In addition, 105 artifacts were returned to India a few days after the Indian Prime Minister’s visit to the US in 2023.

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Many ancient relics in India were not only discovered in the United States, but also handed over to India from other countries in the world. Among them, Britain returned 16 cultural relics, and Australia and other places returned 40 cultural relics. In contrast, only one cultural relic was returned to India between 2004 and 2013.

Signing of cultural property agreement

In addition, in July 2024, on the occasion of the 46th World Heritage Committee in New Delhi, India and the United States signed the first Cultural Property Agreement to prevent and curb the illicit trafficking of cultural relics.

This sector has seen tremendous success over the past decade. It reflects the government’s determination to recover India’s stolen treasures and preserve its cultural heritage for future generations. Prime Minister Modi’s personal connections with global leaders have played a key role in securing these returns.