In a significant act of cultural diplomacy, India is set to recover three sacred artefacts as Australia voluntarily returns them from national galleries. The move coincides with India’s repatriation of an Australian First Nations ancestor in Chennai’s Government Museum.&nbsp;The artefacts returning to India include a rare metal trident featuring Goddess Bhadrakali, a stone idol of Nandi, and a six-headed Karttikeya sculpture, all originating from historic Tamil Nadu temples. These pieces, which hold deep religious and artistic value, were held in the collections of the National Gallery of Australia and the Art Gallery of New South Wales.&nbsp;The ceremonial trishula (trident) surmounted by an image of Bhadrakali, a fierce form of Shakti, represents protection and the destruction of evil in Shaiva-Shakti traditions. Crafted in the South Indian temple metalwork style, it comes from the Sri Kasiviswanathaswamy Temple in Kollumangudi village, Thiruvarur district. The temple dates back to the 13th–16th centuries CE, spanning the late Chola to Vijayanagara/Nayak periods.&nbsp;The stone idol of Nandi, the sacred bull and vehicle of Lord Shiva, also originates from the same temple. Traditionally placed facing the sanctum sanctorum, it symbolises devotion, strength, and dharma. Sculpted with compact proportions and ornamental details typical of Tamil Shaiva art, the bull is adorned with bells and garlands.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-iran-conflict-strait-of-hormuz-jordan-missiles-bushehr-1783601840103">US-Iran war: Jordan intercepts 8 missiles as 170 Iranian targets are hit and 3 IRGC members are killed in two days</a>&nbsp;The third piece is a striking stone idol of six-headed Karttikeya from the Naganathsamy Temple in Manambadi village, Thanjavur district. Dating to the early 11th century under Emperor Rajendra Chola I, the sculpture embodies wisdom, valour, and divine protection. Depicted with multiple arms holding weapons and accompanied by a peacock, it exemplifies the refined Chola sculptural tradition.&nbsp;Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced the returns, describing them as part of Australia’s commitment to ethical collection practices. “Australia and India share a deep history, and we are building strong people-to-people links between our two countries, ” he said.&nbsp;The exchange is reciprocal. India has agreed to unconditionally repatriate an Australian First Nations ancestor from the Government Museum in Chennai to their "Traditional Custodians". Albanese welcomed the decision, saying it “promotes healing, justice and reconciliation” and commended Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the gesture.&nbsp;Minister for the Arts Tony Burke emphasised shared values, while Minister for Indigenous Australians Malarndirri McCarthy described every such repatriation as “an act of truth-telling and righting wrongs of the past". The returns come amid growing global momentum for the restitution of colonial-era artefacts.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced the return of the artefacts as part of Australia's commitment to ethical collection practices, framing it as a reflection of the growing people-to-people ties between Australia and India.

In a significant act of cultural diplomacy, India is set to recover three sacred artefacts as Australia voluntarily returns them from national galleries. The move coincides with India’s repatriation of an Australian First Nations ancestor in Chennai’s Government Museum. The artefacts returning to India include a rare metal trident featuring Goddess Bhadrakali, a stone idol of Nandi, and a six-headed Karttikeya sculpture, all originating from historic Tamil Nadu temples. These pieces, which hold deep religious and artistic value, were held in the collections of the National Gallery of Australia and the Art Gallery of New South Wales. The ceremonial trishula (trident) surmounted by an image of Bhadrakali, a fierce form of Shakti, represents protection and the destruction of evil in Shaiva-Shakti traditions. Crafted in the South Indian temple metalwork style, it comes from the Sri Kasiviswanathaswamy Temple in Kollumangudi village, Thiruvarur district. The temple dates back to the 13th–16th centuries CE, spanning the late Chola to Vijayanagara/Nayak periods. The stone idol of Nandi, the sacred bull and vehicle of Lord Shiva, also originates from the same temple. Traditionally placed facing the sanctum sanctorum, it symbolises devotion, strength, and dharma. Sculpted with compact proportions and ornamental details typical of Tamil Shaiva art, the bull is adorned with bells and garlands. Also Read: US-Iran war: Jordan intercepts 8 missiles as 170 Iranian targets are hit and 3 IRGC members are killed in two days The third piece is a striking stone idol of six-headed Karttikeya from the Naganathsamy Temple in Manambadi village, Thanjavur district. Dating to the early 11th century under Emperor Rajendra Chola I, the sculpture embodies wisdom, valour, and divine protection. Depicted with multiple arms holding weapons and accompanied by a peacock, it exemplifies the refined Chola sculptural tradition. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced the returns, describing them as part of Australia’s commitment to ethical collection practices. “Australia and India share a deep history, and we are building strong people-to-people links between our two countries, ” he said. The exchange is reciprocal. India has agreed to unconditionally repatriate an Australian First Nations ancestor from the Government Museum in Chennai to their "Traditional Custodians". Albanese welcomed the decision, saying it “promotes healing, justice and reconciliation” and commended Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the gesture. Minister for the Arts Tony Burke emphasised shared values, while Minister for Indigenous Australians Malarndirri McCarthy described every such repatriation as “an act of truth-telling and righting wrongs of the past". The returns come amid growing global momentum for the restitution of colonial-era artefacts.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced the return of the artefacts as part of Australia's commitment to ethical collection practices, framing it as a reflection of the growing people-to-people ties between Australia and India.

PM Modi's Melbourne visit: Chola-era Nandi & Bhadrakali trident to return home from Australian museums

India and Australia on Thursday (July 9, 2026) inked several deals spanning civil nuclear energy, maritime security and critical minerals sectors. This comes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Australian counterpart, Anthony Albanese, reinforced the significant role of the bilateral partnership in ensuring a peaceful Indo-Pacific region. This development comes a day after PM Modi landed in Australia from Indonesia in the second leg of his three-nation tour with the aim of bolstering the trade and defence pact against the backdrop of an increasingly fractured geopolitical environment.<h3>Key agreements signed</h3>Following talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, the two countries announced a joint declaration on defence and security, a joint statement on energy cooperation, and a roadmap to strengthen collaboration in cyber security, critical technologies and resilient supply chains. The civil nuclear energy agreement is expected to enable the commercial supply of Australian uranium to India, supporting the country's expanding nuclear power programme. India and Australia also agreed to expedite negotiations on the proposed Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) and a bilateral investment protection agreement. Additionally, both sides committed to developing a critical minerals corridor to deepen cooperation in the strategic resources sector.&nbsp;Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/this-show-is-houseful-it-is-a-blockbuster-pm-modi-addresses-indian-diaspora-in-australia-1783591199022">'This show is houseful it is a blockbuster': PM Modi addresses Indian diaspora in Australia</a><h3>Why does India's Uranium deal with Australia matter?</h3>Speaking after the agreement was signed, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stated that the arrangement provides for Australian uranium exports to India in order to help increase the share of non-fossil fuel power capacity, providing an extra market for the Australian resources sector. PM Modi also highlighted that the partnership provides greater opportunities in multiple sectors beyond nuclear energy, as it creates the monitoring system necessary for Australian uranium to be supplied exclusively for the civilian nuclear energy programme of India for peaceful electricity generation. The signed agreement effectively channels the wider civil nuclear pact that had remained largely silent for more than ten years.<h3>Why does India need uranium?</h3>The agreement comes as India accelerates plans to significantly increase its nuclear power capacity over the next two decades. The country aims to achieve 100 GW of installed nuclear power capacity by 2047 as part of its broader clean energy transition. It is a goal that depends on a steady supply of uranium, due to limited domestic reserves, despite India's abundant thorium reserves. Coal still accounts for nearly three-fourths of India's electricity generation and around 42 per cent of installed generation capacity. While renewable energy from solar and wind has grown rapidly, its intermittent nature limits its ability to consistently meet demand during peak consumption periods. In this context, nuclear energy provides a reliable source of low-carbon baseload power that can operate continuously, irrespective of weather conditions. It is expected to play a key role in India's long-term decarbonisation plans and its target of achieving net-zero emissions by 2070. The uranium imports will also strengthen India's three-stage nuclear power programme. The first two stages rely on uranium-fuelled reactors to produce plutonium, which will eventually support the country's long-term vision of harnessing its vast thorium reserves for nuclear energy.

The development comes a day after PM Modi landed in Australia from Indonesia in the second leg of his three-nation tour with the aim of bolstering the trade and defence pact against the backdrop of an increasingly fractured geopolitical environment.

India and Australia on Thursday (July 9, 2026) inked several deals spanning civil nuclear energy, maritime security and critical minerals sectors. This comes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Australian counterpart, Anthony Albanese, reinforced the significant role of the bilateral partnership in ensuring a peaceful Indo-Pacific region. This development comes a day after PM Modi landed in Australia from Indonesia in the second leg of his three-nation tour with the aim of bolstering the trade and defence pact against the backdrop of an increasingly fractured geopolitical environment. Key agreements signed Following talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, the two countries announced a joint declaration on defence and security, a joint statement on energy cooperation, and a roadmap to strengthen collaboration in cyber security, critical technologies and resilient supply chains. The civil nuclear energy agreement is expected to enable the commercial supply of Australian uranium to India, supporting the country's expanding nuclear power programme. India and Australia also agreed to expedite negotiations on the proposed Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) and a bilateral investment protection agreement. Additionally, both sides committed to developing a critical minerals corridor to deepen cooperation in the strategic resources sector. Also read: 'This show is houseful it is a blockbuster': PM Modi addresses Indian diaspora in Australia Why does India's Uranium deal with Australia matter? Speaking after the agreement was signed, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stated that the arrangement provides for Australian uranium exports to India in order to help increase the share of non-fossil fuel power capacity, providing an extra market for the Australian resources sector. PM Modi also highlighted that the partnership provides greater opportunities in multiple sectors beyond nuclear energy, as it creates the monitoring system necessary for Australian uranium to be supplied exclusively for the civilian nuclear energy programme of India for peaceful electricity generation. The signed agreement effectively channels the wider civil nuclear pact that had remained largely silent for more than ten years. Why does India need uranium? The agreement comes as India accelerates plans to significantly increase its nuclear power capacity over the next two decades. The country aims to achieve 100 GW of installed nuclear power capacity by 2047 as part of its broader clean energy transition. It is a goal that depends on a steady supply of uranium, due to limited domestic reserves, despite India's abundant thorium reserves. Coal still accounts for nearly three-fourths of India's electricity generation and around 42 per cent of installed generation capacity. While renewable energy from solar and wind has grown rapidly, its intermittent nature limits its ability to consistently meet demand during peak consumption periods. In this context, nuclear energy provides a reliable source of low-carbon baseload power that can operate continuously, irrespective of weather conditions. It is expected to play a key role in India's long-term decarbonisation plans and its target of achieving net-zero emissions by 2070. The uranium imports will also strengthen India's three-stage nuclear power programme. The first two stages rely on uranium-fuelled reactors to produce plutonium, which will eventually support the country's long-term vision of harnessing its vast thorium reserves for nuclear energy.

The development comes a day after PM Modi landed in Australia from Indonesia in the second leg of his three-nation tour with the aim of bolstering the trade and defence pact against the backdrop of an increasingly fractured geopolitical environment.

India signs Uranium deal with Australia: Why it's game-changer for New Delhi's nuclear energy ambitions

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PM Modi's Melbourne visit: Chola-era Nandi & Bhadrakali trident to return home from Australian museums

India signs Uranium deal with Australia: Why it's game-changer for New Delhi?