Australia has handed over three ancient Indian artefacts to the Indian High Commission in Canberra, completing a commitment made by the prime ministers of the two countries at their leaders' summit in July 2026. The handover took place on Wednesday, 11 November, and the objects will soon be on their way to India, the Indian mission said. ## Three sacred objects from Tamil Nadu The three pieces are a bronze trident bearing the image of Goddess Bhadrakali, a granite idol of Nandi, the sacred bull of Lord Shiva, and a basalt sculpture of the six-headed Kartikeya. All three come from temples in Tamil Nadu, in the districts of Thanjavur and Thiruvarur, and date from the 11th and 12th centuries. The trident comes from the Sri Kasiviswanathaswamy Temple at Kollumangudi, while the Kartikeya idol comes from the Naganathsamy Temple at Manambadi, according to [IANS](https://ianslive.in/national-gallery-of-australia-hands-over-three-ancient-artefacts-to-indian-mission--20261111130455). ## A promise made in July Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced the return during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Melbourne for the third Annual Leaders' Summit in July 2026. The decision was presented as a deepening of cultural cooperation between the two countries, and it was paired with progress on returning the ancestral remains of an Australian First Nations person held at the Government Museum in Chennai. The Indian High Commission said the transfer followed sustained efforts by the mission, adding that the valuable artefacts will soon be arriving in India, "bringing our treasured heritage home", [Bilkul Online](https://bilkulonline.com/2026/11/11/national-gallery-of-australia-hands-over-three-ancient-artefacts-to-indian-mission/) reported. ## What happens next The artefacts will now go to India, where they are expected to be returned to their places of origin. The handover adds to a series of repatriations of Indian antiquities from museums and collections overseas, as New Delhi continues to press for the return of sacred objects taken from its temples.