The United States has returned 297 antiquities to India that were illegally smuggled out of the country, marking another significant step in India’s efforts to reclaim its cultural heritage. This handover took place during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to the U.S., where both countries emphasized the importance of protecting cultural properties.

Expressing his gratitude, Prime Minister Modi stated, "Deepening cultural ties and strengthening the fight against illicit trafficking of cultural properties. I am deeply grateful to President Biden and the U.S. government for ensuring the return of 297 invaluable antiquities to India." Since 2014, India has successfully recovered 640 ancient artifacts, with 578 returned by the U.S. alone.

This latest return underscores the growing cultural cooperation between India and the U.S., particularly after the two nations signed the first-ever Cultural Property Agreement in July 2024. The agreement aims to prevent illegal trafficking and aid in the recovery of stolen or trafficked cultural artifacts.

Among the returned items are significant pieces such as a 10th-11th century sandstone ‘apsara’ from central India, a bronze Jain Tirthankar from the 15th-16th century, a terracotta vase from the 3rd-4th century CE, and a stone sculpture from South India dating back to the 1st century BCE to the 1st century CE. Other notable artifacts include a bronze Lord Ganesh from South India and a sandstone statue of Lord Buddha from North India.

The return of these antiquities is part of an ongoing effort between the two countries. During Prime Minister Modi's previous visits to the U.S., 10 artifacts were returned in 2016, 157 in 2021, and 105 in 2023, bringing the total number of artifacts repatriated from the U.S. to 578.

These 297 cultural treasures, spanning nearly 4,000 years, further symbolize the strong cultural ties between the U.S. and India, as both nations continue to work together in the preservation and restitution of India’s rich cultural heritage.