The US has handed over to India 297 antiquities during the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. These antiquities were smuggled out of the country and were recovered. Trafficking of cultural property is a longstanding issue that has affected many cultures and countries throughout history, and India has been particularly hit.

“Deepening cultural connect and strengthening the fight against illicit trafficking of cultural properties. I am extremely grateful to President Biden and the US Government for ensuring the return of 297 invaluable antiquities to India,” PM Modi said on X.

He thanked President Joe Biden for his support in the return of these artefacts. He noted that these objects were not just part of India’s historical material culture, but formed the inner core of its civilisation and consciousness.

With this, the total number of ancient items recovered by India since 2014 has gone to 640, officials said, adding the number returned from the US alone will be 578. This is the maximum number of cultural artefacts returned by any country to India.

Some details of the antiquities returned by the US:

Some of the notable antiquities handed over to India include an ‘apsara’ in sandstone from central India belonging to 10-11th century CE, a Jain Tirthankar in bronze belonging to 15-16th century CE, terracotta vase from eastern India belonging to 3-4th century CE, and a stone sculpture from South India belonging to 1st century BCE-1st century CE.

Amid a raging row over the alleged presence of animal fat in Tirupati Laddu, spiritual leader and Isha Foundation founder Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev on Sunday said beef tallow in temple ‘prasadam‘ was beyond disgusting.

Advocating that the temples should be run by devotees and not by government and administrations, he said “Where there is no Devotion, there shall be no sanctity.

In a post on social media platform X, he said: “Devotees consuming beef tallow in the Temple prasadam is beyond disgusting. This is why Temples should be run by Devotees, not by government administrations. Where there is no Devotion, there shall be no sanctity. Time the Hindu Temples are run by devout Hindus, not by government administration.”

Devotees consuming beef tallow in the Temple prasadam is beyond disgusting. This is why Temples should be run by Devotees, not by government administrations. Where there is no Devotion, there shall be no sanctity. Time the Hindu Temples are run by devout Hindus, not by government… https://t.co/4c53zVro7G

— Sadhguru (@SadhguruJV) September 21, 2024

On Saturday, former Congress leader Acharya Pramod Krishnam expressed concern over the issue and called it a “very dangerous conspiracy” targeting Sanatan Dharma.

The controversy over the ‘prasadam’ erupted after Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu claimed on September 18 that under Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy’s government, animal fat and substandard ingredients were used in the preparation of Tirupati laddus.

He claimed that even the Tirumala laddu was made with substandard ingredients.

“They compromised on the quality of ‘Annadanam’ (free meals) and even contaminated the sacred Tirumala Laddu by using animal fat instead of ghee,” he said but added that after the change of government, the laddu is being made with pure ghee.

However, YSRCP MP and the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam’s (TTD) former Chairman Y. V. Subba Reddy denied CM Naidu’s claims of adulteration, clarifying that TTD used only pure cow ghee and organic products for the ‘prasadam’.

With the controversy refusing to die down, BJP’s youth wing Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) on Sunday staged a protest at the residence of Jagan Mohan Reddy, demanding his apology over the same.

The controversy has sparked widespread outrage with many questioning the motive behind the act and demanding strict action against those responsible.
 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman urged educational institutions to include stress management lessons after a young CA professional’s death at EY India. She highlighted the importance of inner resilience and spirituality. Congress criticized her remarks as insensitive, accusing the government of neglecting corporate exploitation issues. An investigation into EY’s work environment is underway.