Three From Australia, Over 650 Recovered Worldwide: India's Hunt To Bring Its Stolen Artefacts Home

Published 10 July 2026 · india

Three From Australia, Over 650 Recovered Worldwide: India's Hunt To Bring Its Stolen Artefacts Home Published By, Last Updated: July 10, 2026, 11:11 IST Australia

Three From Australia, Over 650 Recovered Worldwide: India's Hunt To Bring Its Stolen Artefacts Home Published By, Last Updated: July 10, 2026, 11:11 IST Australia said it would return three ancient Indian artefacts - a metal trident with image of Goddess Bhadrakali, a granite idol of Nandi, and a si headed stone idol of Kartikeya. Rapid Read Australia is set to repatriate three culturally significant ancient antiquities to India. (Image: X/MinOfCultureGoI) The return of three stolen temple artefacts from Australia marks the latest success in India’s decade-long effort to reclaim its looted cultural heritage from museums and collections across the world. The announcement came as Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the India-Australia Annual Leaders’ Summit in Melbourne on Thursday. Australia said it would voluntarily return three ancient Indian artefacts that had been stolen from temples in Tamil Nadu – a ceremonial metal trident bearing the image of Goddess Bhadrakali, a granite idol of Nandi, and a si headed stone idol of Kartikeya (Skanda-Subramanya). The artefacts, dating back to the 11th and 12th centuries, had been traced to temples in Thanjavur and Thiruvarur districts before they disappeared into the international antiquities market. The announcement was made during PM Modi’s visit to Australia, where he held bilateral talks with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. In a joint statement after the summit, the two leaders welcomed the voluntary return of the artefacts as part of expanding cultural cooperation between the two countries. Australia’s Prime Minister’s Office said the move reflected its commitment to strengthening cultural ties with India, while India’s Ministry of External Affairs described it as another important step in restoring the country’s stolen heritage. In a profound testament to the civilisational resonance anchoring modern diplomacy, Australia is set to repatriate three culturally significant ancient antiquities to India.These artefacts include a ceremonial bronze trident of Goddess Bhadrakali, a majestic granite idol of… pic.twitter.com/knmUGuo8Nn — Ministry of Culture (@MinOfCultureGoI) July 9, 2026 The three artefacts may appear modest compared to some of the celebrated Chola bronzes that have made headlines over the years, but they represent something far larger.

Their return adds to a steadily growing list of sacred idols, sculptures and antiquities that India has managed to recover over the past decade. Once smuggled through sophisticated international trafficking networks and sold to museums, galleries and private collectors abroad, these artefacts are increasingly finding their way back home through diplomatic engagement, criminal investigations and international cooperation. Dramatic Turnaround In Recovering Stolen Heritage India’s efforts to retrieve stolen antiquities have accelerated significantly over the past decade. According to government data, only 13 antiquities were returned to India between Independence and 2014. Since 2014, however, more than 640 antiquities have been repatriated from countries across North America, Europe, Australia and Asia, taking the total number recovered to well over 650. Many of these recoveries have coincided with high-level diplomatic engagements, with foreign governments choosing to return stolen artefacts during bilateral visits as a gesture of goodwill. Australia: From The Dancing Shiva To Bhadrakali’s Trident Australia has been one of the most prominent partners in India’s heritage restitution efforts. The first major breakthrough came in September 2014, when then Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott travelled to New Delhi and handed over two stolen Chola masterpieces directly to Prime Minister Modi. They included the celebrated 900-year-old Nataraja idol stolen from the Brihadeeswarar Temple at Sripuranthan and an Ardhanarishvara idol from Tamil Nadu. Both had been purchased by Australian institutions after passing through the network of disgraced antiquities dealer Subhash Kapoor using forged provenance documents. In 2022, during Albanese’s earlier engagement with India, Australia returned 29 antiquities, ranging from sculptures and paintings to photographs and decorative objects spanning multiple historical periods. The collection included works linked to Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and West Bengal. Now, during PM Modi’s current visit to Melbourne, Australia has announced the return of three more sacred objects – the Bhadrakali trident, Nandi idol and Kartikeya sculpture — all stolen from temples in Tamil Nadu. US Has Returned The Largest Number No country has returned more Indian antiquities than the United States.