Australia to Return Three Antiquities Stolen From Tamil Nadu Temples
Australia will return three Tamil Nadu temple artefacts, including a 12th-century Skanda sculpture, as part of a cultural repatriation agreed by the leaders.
- On Thursday, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced that Australia will return three ancient artifacts to India following bilateral talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Melbourne.
- Canberra's decision follows investigations by the Tamil Nadu Idol Wing CID using the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty , which determined the items were trafficked from Tamil Nadu temples and lacked lawful export documentation.
- The antiquities, dating to the 11th and 12th centuries, include a granite Nandi idol from the Sri Kasi Viswanatha Swamy Temple, a bronze Bhadrakali Trident, and a six-headed Skanda sculpture from the Naganathaswamy Temple.
- In a reciprocal gesture, Albanese lauded "progressive strides" by New Delhi to repatriate an Australian First Nations ancestor currently held in the Government Museum in Chennai to their Traditional Custodians.
- This repatriation concludes a provenance review process initiated over a decade ago by former High Court Justice Susan Crennan AC, marking a significant milestone in cultural reconciliation between the two nations.
16 Articles
16 Articles
Australia returns three stolen Tamil Nadu temple murtis to India
MELBOURNE: In a significant gesture of cultural cooperation and heritage restoration, Australia has announced the voluntary repatriation of three ancient Tamil Nadu temple artefacts to India during the 3rd India–Australia Annual Summit. The return of the centuries-old idols, which were smuggled out of the country and later traced through investigations by the Tamil Nadu Idol Wing-CID, marks another milestone in India’s global efforts to reclaim …
Housed in two Australian museums, three 11th-12th century antiquities from Tamil Nadu to finally come home
The repatriation is among the outcomes of the India-Australia summit during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ongoing visit to the island nation. For its part, India has committed to the repatriation of the relics of an Australian First Nations ancestor held at a Chennai museum
Three Cultural Artefacts of Indian Origin to be Brought Back from Australia
Australia will repatriate three antiquities of Tamil Nadu origin, including a stone idol of Nandi, to India. Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Anthony Albanese welcomed the voluntary return during the third India-Australia Annual Summit, reaffirming cultural cooperation between the two countries.
Australia Returns Ancient Indian Artefacts in Landmark Cultural Exchange
The artefacts, a ceremonial Bhadrakali trident, a Nandi idol, and a six-headed Kartikey sculpture, date back to the 11th to 16th centuries. They were previously held in Australian cultural institutions and will now be returned to their country of origin.
From Australia to India: The story behind Karttikeya, Nandi and the Bhadrakali trishul
Australia is returning three stolen Tamil Nadu temple antiquities to India under the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty. The repatriation restores sacred objects to their temple context and strengthens India's heritage recovery efforts.
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