Netherlands hands back Chola dynasty copper plates to India
The Hague, May 16: The Netherlands on Saturday handed back 11th-century Chola dynasty copper plates to India, in an event attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Dutch counterpart Rob Jetten, signifying the strengthening of ties between the two countries.
PM Modi, who arrived in the Netherlands on Friday after a brief stopover in the UAE on the second leg of his five-nation tour, described the occasion as “a joyous moment for every Indian”.
India has been pursuing the return of the Anaimangalam Copper Plates, known in the Netherlands as the Leiden Plates, since 2012.
“A joyous moment for every Indian! Chola Copper Plates dating back to the 11th Century will be repatriated to India from the Netherlands,” Modi said in a social media post after attending the restitution ceremony.
“They also showcase the greatness of the Cholas. We in India are immensely proud of the Cholas, their culture and their maritime prowess,” Modi said.
The PM thanked the Government of the Netherlands and Leiden University, where the plates had been kept since the mid-19th century.
External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, in a social media post, said the copper plates highlight the legacy of the Chola dynasty and their return is “yet another step in the homecoming of Indian cultural artefacts from abroad”.
The 21 copper plates are considered the most significant surviving records of the Chola dynasty and are among the important artefacts of Tamil heritage held anywhere outside India. hey weigh approximately 30 kg and are bound together by a bronze ring bearing the royal seal of the Chola dynasty. The plates are divided into two sections: one has texts in Sanskrit, the other in Tamil.
Rajaraja Chola I was a Hindu emperor who provided revenue endowments for a Buddhist monastery.
While Rajaraja Chola I gave the original verbal order, which was recorded on palm leaves, it was his son, Rajendra Chola I, who had the grant amount etched on durable copper plates to preserve it. The bronze ring that binds the plates bears Rajendra Chola’s seal. (PTI)
