It was, in due course, established that they had been removed from temples in Tamil Nadu and trafficked overseas, sources said. (Express photos)Three antiquities from Tamil Nadu, dating back to the 11th and 12th centuries and housed at a museum in Australia, are all set to make their way back to India.The repatriation of the antiquities is among the outcomes of the India-Australia summit during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ongoing visit to the island nation. For its part, India has committed to the repatriation of the relics of an Australian First Nations ancestor presently held at the Government Museum of Chennai.The antiquities that will return to India in due course, as per the commitment between the two sides, include a stone sculpture of sacred Nandi – the vehicle of Lord Shiva (11th to 12th century); a metal trident with the image of Bhadrakali (11th century); and a six-headed Karthikeya statue in stone (12th century), as per the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).These objects have been held as part of the collections of National Gallery of Australia and Art Gallery of NSW (New South Wales). According to officials, the antiquities are being repatriated after their provenance was verified following investigations at the behest of Tamil Nadu Idol Wing CID.It was, in due course, established that they had been removed from temples in Tamil Nadu and trafficked overseas, sources said. The idols will be handed over to the Indian mission in Australia and subsequently transported back to the country.During their joint address following the delegation-level talks on Thursday, both the Prime Ministers welcomed the voluntary return of these cultural artefacts to India.In a separate statement, the office of Australian PM Anthony Albanese said: “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.”Story continues below this adThe MEA, in a statement issued after the India-Australia Annual Summit, said the two PMs “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”.Albanese also “welcomed progress to repatriate an Australian First Nations ancestor (relics) held in the Government Museum of Chennai. The ancestors will be voluntarily and unconditionally repatriated by India to their Traditional Custodians,” said the statement by his office.It is believed that the Government Museum in Chennai received the skull of a First Nations ancestor sometime in 1935, as part of an anthropological exchange. Australia, which is home to the First Nations people, has in recent years focused on the repatriation of the remains of ancestors and their sacred objects.“The repatriation of First Nations ancestors promotes healing, justice and reconciliation,” Albanese said, adding, “I commend Prime Minister Modi for the decision to repatriate Australian First Nations ancestors to their Traditional Custodians.”Divya A reports on travel, tourism, culture and social issues - not necessarily in that order - for The Indian Express. She's been a journalist for over a decade now, working with Khaleej Times and The Times of India, before settling down at Express. Besides writing/ editing news reports, she indulges her pen to write short stories. As Sanskriti Prabha Dutt Fellow for Excellence in Journalism, she is researching on the lives of the children of sex workers in India. ... Read More Tags:Australia