In what has been perceived as a historic move, Australia has repatriated 29 antiques to India. These artefacts are from different time periods, with the earliest dating to 9-10 century CE. This comes as Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Prime Minister Narendra Modi are all set to hold a virtual summit at 12:30 pm today.

Apart from returning the 29 artefacts, Australia is also expected to announce an investment of Rs 1,500 crore in technology and critical minerals. The Ukraine-Russia war is also likely to feature in the talks between the two leaders.

The artefacts come from six broad categories – Shiva and his disciples, worshiping Shakti, Lord Vishnu and his forms, Jain tradition, and portraits and decorative objects. These artefacts are primarily sculptures and paintings executed in variety of material – sandstone, marble, bronze, brass, paper.

Here is the list of the antiques returned by Australia:

1. A Shiva Bhairava sandstone sculpture, holding a rod or Danda to punish reprobates

2. A bronze sculpture of the child-saint Sambandar, one among the three principal saints of South India

3. A bronze sculpture of a dancing child-saint Sambandar, one of a group of sixty-three saints who adored Shiva in Tamil Nadu

4. Saint Chandikesvara sculpture, adorned with a high jata-mukuta, and shown bedecked with jewels

5. Shiva and Parvati water colored heightened painting from Kangra, Himachal Pradesh from 1830-40

6. A dancing Sambandar sculpture

7. A Yaksha Bhairava portrait from the 19th century made with gold, silver ink

8. A Durga Mahisasuramardini sandstone sculpture, where the goddess is seen holding Mahisha demon by his hair, with her tongue out, and an aggressive expression throughout her face

9. Kali yantra portrait from Uttar Pradesh from the 19th century

10. Lakshmi Narayana sandstone sculpture that shows the divine couple, Lakshmi and Vishnu, from 10th-11th century CE

11. An untitled Manorath portrait of donor and priests from Udaipur

12. A portrait of Varaha rescuing the Earth Goddess

13. Baby Krishna on a banyan leaf portrait

14. Shrinathji portrait from 19th century

15. Krishna and Arjuna portrait

16. Arch of a Jain shrine, an embellished frieze from 11-12th century

17. Seated Jina marble sculpture

18. Vijnaptipatra, a picture scroll of a letter of invitation to Jain monks

19. Maharaja Sir Kishen Pershad Yamin portrait by Lala Deen Dayal

20. Hiralal portrait

21. An untitled portrait of a man from 1954

22. An untitled Gujarati family group portrait

23. An unknown portraiture of a woman from Udaipur

24. Portrait of a Gentleman by Panna Lal

25. A page from a Ragamala series

26. A young lady with elaborate saree portrait

27. A processional standard or an Alam

28. Lakshman Chandji before Shri Dursham Ramji portrait

29. An amorous couple portrait

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