Watch: USA returns antiques to India at special event at New York consulate

Weeks after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's trip to the US, American authorities have begun the process of returning over 100 valuable antique objects which originated in the region.

A special event was organised at the Indian Consulate General in New York on July 17 to hand over some of the objects. Indian ambassador Taranjit Singh Sandhu said that the antiques being repatriated to India are "not just art", but part of India's "heritage, culture and religion".

The 105 artifacts represent a wide geographical spread in terms of their origin in India - with 47 from Eastern India, 27 from Southern India, 22 from Central India, 6 from Northern India, 3 from Western India, an official release said.

"Spanning a period from 2nd-3rd Century CE to 18th-19th Century CE, the artifacts are made of terracotta, stone, metal and wood. Around 50 artifacts relate to religious subjects [Hinduism, Jainism and Islam] and the rest are of cultural significance," it said.