NEW YORK (Diya TV) — The United States announced the repatriation of 297 antiquities back to India. The gesture is seen as one among many examples of the two nations’ shared commitment to “protecting and preserving” cultural heritage.

“It’s encouraging to see yet another testimony of shared commitment from the U.S. and India to protect and preserve cultural heritage, US Ambassador to India Garcetti said in a post on X on Monday. He called it a “tangible step” toward preventing the illicit trafficking of cultural patrimony after the signing of the “Cultural Property Agreement” between India and the U.S. in July.

These returned antiquities include culturally significant pieces like terracotta vases of Eastern India, a sandstone Buddha sculpture from Uttar Pradesh, a bronze idol of Vishnu from Eastern India and a Jain Tirthankara idol of Southern India. In all, around 178 terracotta figures and around 47 items from Northern India have been brought into the collection, with items represented from Jammu and Kashmir.

Indian Prime Minister Modi thanked the U.S. government and President Biden for helping in the returns of these treasured cultural artifacts. “Deepening cultural connections and strengthening the fight against illicit trafficking of cultural properties. I am extremely grateful to President Biden and the U.S. Government for ensuring the return of 297 invaluable antiquities to India, PM Modi said in a post on X.

It’s part of a larger effort to curb the illicit trafficking of cultural goods and deepen diplomatic ties between the two nations,” said Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri. “This is about more than just Vikas (development) but also Virasat (cultural heritage)”, he added.

Since the signing of the Cultural Property Agreement, which is meant to prevent the unlawful export and trade of cultural items between the U.S. and India, they have been collaborating on matters that revolve around their cultures. The return of these items justifies the commitment of both countries towards preserving history and culture as these would not be in the hands of people who are not rightly entitled to owning and preserving them.

Speaking before a crowd of more than 15,000 members of the Indian diaspora at Nassau Coliseum during his recent visit to New York, Prime Minister Modi underlined the strength of India-US relations. He lauded contributions from the Indian diaspora and elaborated on India’s progress-from mobile manufacturing and digital infrastructure to the laid-pipes under the government’s city gas distribution program. Describing the prospects for “Made in India,” including semiconductors, Modi said, “Soon, they will find all of this across America.”.

Post the diaspora, Modi held talks with senior CEOs of major US-based companies. He discussed partnerships related to artificial intelligence, quantum computing, biotechnology, and semiconductors. The talks are part of a larger effort aimed at deepening economic and technological cooperation between India and the United States.

Before that, he held bilateral talks with the leaders of other Quad Summit nations: U.S. President Joe Biden, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. Strategic partnerships, global issues discussed