US Returns 297 Stolen Antiquities to India During Modi's Visit

The repatriated artifacts, dating from 2000 BCE to 1900 CE, mark the largest cultural restitution from any country to India.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi thanked President Joe Biden for facilitating the return of the antiquities during a meeting in Wilmington, Delaware.
The artifacts, which include terracotta, stone, metal, wood, and ivory pieces, were smuggled out of India over centuries.
A landmark Cultural Property Agreement was signed between the US and India in July 2024 to combat the trafficking of stolen artifacts.
Since 2016, the US has repatriated a total of 578 cultural artifacts to India, the highest number returned by any single country.
Notable returned items include a sandstone Apsara from the 10-11th century CE and a bronze Jain Tirthankar from the 15-16th century CE.