Efforts to repatriate the Chola-era Leiden Copper Plates, also known as the Anaimangalam Copper Plates, from the Netherlands continue to face delays despite steps taken by the Centre.
The Anaimangalam copper plates are a set of royal charters issued by King Rajendra Chola. The inscriptions describe the donation of the village of Anaimangalam near Nagapattinam by his father Rajaraja Chola Sri Mara Vijayottunggavarman of the Srivijaya Kingdom for the construction of a Buddhist Vihara.
The royal charter has two parts containing 21 copper plates. One set is in Tamil while the other is in Sanskrit and is held together by a bronze ring. Based at Leiden University in the Netherlands. The Indian government started bilateral negotiations a few years ago to bring the saucers back to the country.
Recently, DMK Rajya Sabha member NR Elango sought details from the Union Ministry of Culture on the steps taken by the Center to repatriate these plates. In his reply, Union Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said that the required documents have been provided to the concerned authorities. He said the plates were taken abroad during the colonial period and the documents were shared through diplomatic channels.
Mr. Shekhawat also said that the issue was brought up for discussion at the 24th meeting of UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Committee to Promote the Return of Cultural Property. The Center is taking necessary steps including diplomatic negotiations to resolve the matter in accordance with established international norms, he added.
Published – 14 Dec 2025 18:53 IST
