On May 16, 2026, the Leiden University Library (Netherlands) officially restituted a set of 11th-century Chola Copper Plates to the Government of India. The ceremony took place in the presence of Indian Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and the Prime Minister of the Netherlands, H.E. Mr. Rob Jetten.
**Key Details of the Artifacts:**
* **Composition:** A set of 24 plates in total, consisting of 21 large plates and 3 small plates.
* **Historical Context:** These are royal charters issued by Chola Kings during the 11th century CE.
* **Content:** The charters formalize the gifting of Anaimangalam village in Tamil Nadu to a Buddha vihara known as Chulamanivarma-vihara, located in Nagapattinam.
* **Languages:** The inscriptions on the plates are written in Tamil and Sanskrit.
**Significance:**
The restitution is regarded as a major milestone in preserving India’s civilization and heritage. Beyond their status as historical artifacts, the homecoming of these plates carries profound emotional value for the Indian public, representing a restoration of the nation’s cultural narrative.
**Administrative Information:**
* **Source:** Prime Minister's Office / PIB Delhi
* **Release ID:** 2261879
* **Visitor Counter:** 764
* **Available Languages:** The release was made available in Urdu, Hindi, Bengali, Bengali-TR, Assamese, Manipuri, Punjabi, Gujarati, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam.
* **Reference Code:** MJPS/SS/ST
Key Entities Referenced
Chola Copper Plates: 11th-century royal charters consisting of 21 large and 3 small plates documenting historical land gifts, recently restituted to India.
Leiden University Library: The institution in the Netherlands that returned the 11th-century Chola Copper Plates to the Government of India.
Chulamanivarma-vihara: A Buddhist monastery in Nagapattinam mentioned in the copper plates as the recipient of a royal land gift.
Anaimangalam, Nagapattinam, Tamil Nadu: The specific village and region in Tamil Nadu central to the historical land gift formalised by the Chola royal charters.
Prime Minister's Office
Restitution of Chola Copper Plates
Posted On: 16 MAY 2026 10:00PM by PIB Delhi
In the presence of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and the Prime Minister of the Netherlands, H.E.
Mr. Rob Jetten, the Leiden University Library today restituted the 11th century Chola Copper Plates to the
Government of India.
Chola Copper Plates, a set of 21 large plates and 3 small plates, are royal charters issued by Chola Kings
during the 11th century CE. These charters formalise gifting of Anaimangalam village to a Buddha vihara
called Chulamanivarma-vihara in Nagapattinam, Tamil Nadu. The Plates contain texts written in Tamil
and Sanskrit.
The restitution of these Chola copper plates assumes significance since they are not merely artefacts of the
past, but an invaluable story of India’s heritage and civilization. The home-coming of these plates has a
deep emotional appeal for the people of India.
***
MJPS/SS/ST
(Release ID: 2261879) Visitor Counter : 764
Read this release in: Urdu , ही , Bengali , Bengali-TR , Assamese , Manipuri , Punjabi , Gujarati , Tamil , Telugu , Kannada , Mal
ayalam