Why in News:

• The National Gallery of Australia(NGA) announced it would return 14 works of art from its Asian art collection to India.

Further details

• The works include six bronze or stone sculptures, a brass processional standard, a painted scroll, and six photographs.
• The works being returned are: Child-saint Sambandar, dancing child-saint Sambandar of 12th century belonging to Chola dynasty, Processional standard [‘alam], from Hyderabad, Arch for a Jain shrine- 11th-12th century, Seated Jina- 1163 AD from Mount Abu region, Rajasthan, The divine couple Lakshmi and Vishnu [Lakshmi Narayana] 11-12th century, Durga Mahisasuramardini, from Gujarat.

Additional Details 

Child-saint Sambandar

• Sambandar is a popular seventh-century child saint, and is one of the muvar, the three principal saints of South India.
• The infant Sambandar devoted his life to composing hymns in praise of Lord Shiva.

Processional standard [‘alam] 

• Standards are made of gilded and openwork brass; with Arabic inscriptions.
• Used in many parts of the Muslim world by the Shi’a community in processions marking the martyrdom of Imam Husain, grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, who died at the Battle of Karbala in A.D. 680.

Jina

• The word ‘Jain’ comes from the word jina or jaina, which means ‘Conqueror.’
• Lord Mahavira, the founder of Jainism, popularised the faith in the 6th century B.C.
• Lord Mahavira was the final of the twenty-four great teachers. Rishabhanatha was the first Tirthankara.
• These twenty-four teachers were known as Tirthankaras, or people who had attained all knowledge (Moksha) and preached it to the people while still alive.

References:

1.  https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/national-gallery-of-australia-returns-14-art-works-including-chola-idols/article35604254.ece
2. https://www.agakhanmuseum.org/collection/artifact/processional-standard-alam-akm679