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Australia will return three Tamil Nadu antiquities to India after talks between Narendra Modi and Anthony Albanese. The move, alongside India's repatriation of a First Nations ancestor, underscores deepening cultural ties.
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Melbourne,UPDATED: Jul 9, 2026 16:16 IST
Australia will return three antiquities of Tamil Nadu origin to India, including a stone idol of the sacred bull Nandi, the Ministry of External Affairs said after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese welcomed the move during the India-Australia Annual Summit in Melbourne.
The artefacts, held by Australian institutions, are among several items of cultural significance being sent back to India. The two sides also noted growing cultural exchanges, while Albanese welcomed progress on the repatriation of an Australian First Nations ancestor held in the Government Museum of Chennai.
Modi, who arrived in Melbourne on the second leg of his three-nation visit, took part in the third India-Australia Annual Summit hosted by Albanese. The two leaders held one-on-one discussions followed by delegation-level talks, and welcomed the successful completion of six years of the India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
In a statement issued after the summit, the MEA said the two prime ministers “noted the growing cultural exchanges that continue to deepen mutual understanding and welcomed the voluntary return to India of several cultural artefacts held by Australian institutions”.
The artefacts of Tamil Nadu origin are a stone sculpture of the sacred Nandi, vehicle of Shiva, dating to the 11th to 12th century; a metal trident with the image of Bhadrakali from the 11th century; and a six-headed Karthikeya statue in stone from the 12th century. The MEA said these “will be transported back to India in due course”.
The Australian Prime Minister’s Office said the “Australian government is deepening cultural cooperation with India, building on our strong relationship and people-to-people links”. It said Albanese had announced the “voluntary return of several items of cultural significance” to India that were previously held in the collections of the Gallery of Australia and the Art Gallery of NSW.
“The voluntary returns demonstrate Australia’s ongoing commitment to being an international leader in the ethical collection of cultural material and best-practice collection management,” the statement, titled “Building stronger cultural ties between Australia and India”, said.
Albanese’s office also said he “welcomed progress to repatriate an Australian First Nations ancestor held in the Government Museum of Chennai. The ancestor will be voluntarily and unconditionally repatriated by India to their Traditional Custodians.” The statement added: “India’s agreement to repatriate reflects the strong cultural relationship and mutual respect between our two countries.”
Modi held wide-ranging talks with Albanese a day after arriving in Australia from Indonesia, with the three-nation tour aimed at boosting trade and defence relations. “Australia and India share a deep history, and we are building strong people-to-people links between our two countries,” Albanese was quoted as saying in the statement by his office.
He added, “The repatriation of First Nations ancestors promotes healing, justice and reconciliation. I commend Prime Minister Modi for the decision to repatriate Australian First Nations ancestors to their Traditional Custodians.” Overall, the summit saw both sides underline stronger cultural ties through the return of artefacts to India and progress on repatriation to Australia.
With PTI Inputs
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Published By:
India Today Web Desk
Published On:
Jul 9, 2026 16:16 IST
