PM Modi shares importance of Chola copper plates brought back to India

New Delhi [India]May 31 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday welcomed the repatriation of the 11th century Chola era copper plates (Anaimanglam plates) from the Netherlands to India after over 300 years and said it had brought immense joy and pride to India and the Tamil community across the world.
In the 135th edition of his monthly ‘Mann ki Baat’ on Sunday, Prime Minister Modi recalled how in a special ceremony organized in the Netherlands, the ancient copper plates of the Chola era were returned to India. The Prime Minister of the Netherlands was also present at this event.

“I am receiving continuous messages from home and abroad regarding these copper plates. People are expressing their joy and pride. There is also a special enthusiasm about this in Tamil communities around the world,” he said.
Prime Minister Modi said the Chol era plaques repatriated to India include 21 large and three small copper plaques.
The plaques record the permanent grant of land and revenue from Anaimangalam village near Nagapattinam for the maintenance of the Buddhist Vihara, Chudamani Vihara, built by the ruler of Srivijaya, Sri Mara Vijayottungavarman, with the permission of the Chola king, Rajaraja Chola. Rajaraja had issued the order verbally, and his son, Rajendra Chola, had the order officially engraved on copper plates so that the grant would have permanent legal and royal authority.
The copper plates also depict the achievements of the Chola dynasty. Prime Minister Modi highlighted how the plaques reflect the strong maritime strength of the Chola dynasty.
“They also provide information on their relations with South East Asian countries,” PM Modi added.
The Prime Minister expressed great pride in the rich history and culture of the Chola Empire.

In his ‘Mann Ki Baat’ speech, Prime Minister Modi highlighted how the government is continuously working towards preserving these priceless elements of India.
Earlier in May, India scored a monumental diplomatic and cultural victory with the successful repatriation of the historic 11th century ‘Chola Plates’ from the Netherlands.
The priceless items were officially returned in a high-profile ceremony attended by Narendra Modi and Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten, highlighting New Delhi’s growing global success in recovering heritage stolen from foreign lands.
During the event, Prime Minister Modi also expressed his sincere gratitude to the Government of the Netherlands, especially thanking the University of Leiden, where the exceptional copper plates have been carefully preserved since the mid-19th century.
Since 2012, New Delhi has been relentlessly seeking the return of these ancient inscriptions, widely known in the Netherlands as the Leiden Plates and in India as the Anaimangalam Copper Plates. Weighing approximately 30 kilograms, the 21 copper plates are linked together by a solid bronze ring that bears the official royal seal of the Chola Empire, representing one of the most important documents of the dynasty outside Indian shores.
The inscriptions offer a fascinating insight into the secular ideals of ancient Indian government, with texts meticulously divided into two distinct sections, containing accounts in Sanskrit and Tamil.
They recount the governance of Rajaraja Chola I, a devout Hindu emperor who authorized revenue endowments to support a Buddhist monastery. The genesis of the permanent record reflects a generational transition. While King Rajaraja Chola I had initially issued the verbal decree, which was first captured on flimsy palm fronds, it was his son, Rajendra Chola I, who orchestrated the engraving of the details of the concession on durable copper plates to ensure they would stand the test of time, securing them with a bronze ring bearing his own royal seal.
The plaques’ journey to Europe began in the 1700s when they were taken to the Netherlands by Florentius Camper, a Christian missionary stationed in India during a historical period when Nagapattinam, the coastal town explicitly mentioned in the inscriptions, was under Dutch colonial control.
The final step towards their return materialized at the 24th session of the Intergovernmental Committee on Return and Restitution, which formally verified that India’s claim as the bona fide nation of origin was legally and historically valid.
The committee then urged the Dutch administration to initiate constructive bilateral negotiations with New Delhi, which culminated in the historic decision of the Netherlands to return this priceless heritage during Prime Minister Modi’s official state visit. (ANI)