On July 9, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese agreed to the voluntary return of three cultural artefacts of Indian origin to India during their meeting in Melbourne. The artefacts, which include a stone idol of sacred bull Nandi, a metal trident with the image of Bhadrakali, and a six-headed Karthikeya statue in stone, are of Tamil Nadu origin and will be transported back to India. The two leaders participated in the third India-Australia Annual Summit, where they welcomed the successful completion of six years of the India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. The Australian government has committed to deepening cultural cooperation with India, building on their strong relationship and people-to-people links. The artefacts, which are from the 11th to 12th century, were previously held in the collections of the National Gallery of Australia and Art Gallery of NSW. The Ministry of External Affairs stated that the two prime ministers noted the growing cultural exchanges between the two countries and welcomed the voluntary return of the cultural artefacts. In a reciprocal move, India has also agreed to repatriate an Australian First Nations ancestor held in the Government Museum of Chennai. The repatriation of the artefacts and the ancestor reflects the strong cultural relationship and mutual respect between the two countries.
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📰 Source: Siasat Gulf