Recovery of Stolen Antiquities from India
Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is making all efforts to recover stolen antiquities from abroad. Till date the Archaeological Survey of India has recovered eighteen numbers of antiquities from various countries. Details are given in Table-1 below:-
LIST OF RETRIEVAL OF ANTIQUITIES FROM FOREIGN COUNTRIES
Sl. No | Description of object | Provenance | Country from which retrieved | Date/ year of Retrieval | Means of Retrieval | Present location | |||
1. | Sawn stucco Head | Nalanda, Bihar | U.K. and France | 1976 | Voluntarily returned by British Museum, London and Madam Krishna Robound of France | Patna Circle | |||
2. | Nataraja of Chola period | Sivapuram Tamil Nadu | U.S.A. | 1986 | Through Court Case in U.K and U.S.A. | Tamil Nadu Government | |||
3. | Terracotta Yakashi of Tamluk | West Bengal | U.K. | 1986 | Court case was instituted in London but out of Court settlement was reached for retrieval | CAC, Purana Qila, N. Delhi | |||
4. | Nataraja of Chola period | Tiruvilakkadi, Tamil Nadu | U.S.A | 1986 | Kimbell Art Museum returned the idol after Indemnity agreement was signed by the GOI on 12.8.1985 | ||||
5. | Nataraja of Chola period | Pathur, Tamil Nadu | U.K. | 1991 | Retrieved through Court case instituted in London High Court and appeal in Royal Court of Justice at London. | Tamil Nadu Government | |||
6. | Terracotta figures from Bhitargaon | Utter Pradesh | U.S.A | 1991 | The figure was returned voluntarily by Los Angeles Country Museum. | CAC, Purana Qila, N. Delhi | |||
7. | Amin pillars | Amin, Haryana | U.K | 1979-80 | Voluntarily returned | National Museum, New Delhi | |||
8. | Image of Buddha | Bodhgaya, Bihar | U.S.A | 1999 | Voluntarily returned without seeking any monitory compensation by Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York | CAC, Purana Qila, N. Delhi | |||
9. | Sculpture of Krishnajanma | Dhubela Museum Chattarpur (M.P.) | U.S.A | 1999 | Returned through the mediation of Consulate General of India, New York. | Dhubela Museum, Chattarpur (M.P) | |||
10. | Paintings | i) Chandigarh Museum ii) Chandigarh Museum | U.S.A
U.S.A | 10-1-1990
4-3-1979 | Voluntarily returned
Voluntarily returned | Chandigarh Museum
Chandigarh Museum
| |||
11. | Image of Lakulisa | Jageswar | U.S.A | 2000 | Voluntarily returned after negotiations by the Consulate General of India, Chichgo with Mrs. Marilynn Alsdorf. | CAC, Purana Qila, N. Delhi | |||
12. | Decorative Wooden panels (7 nos.) | Rajasthan | Holand | 2001 | Voluntarily returned
| CAC, Purana Qila, N. Delhi | |||
13. | Yogini Vrishanana | —- | Paris | 2013 | Return on initiative of the then Minister of Culture | National Museum | |||
14. | Nataraja | Tamil Nadu | Australia | 2014 | Voluntarily returned | Under the custody of Idol Wing Tamil Nadu | |||
15. | Ardhanariswara | Tamil Nadu | Australia | 2014 | Voluntarily returned | Under the custody Idol Wing, Tamil Nadu | |||
16. | Parrot Lady | Madhya Pradesh | Canada | 2015 | Voluntarily returned | CAC, Purana Qila, N. Delhi | |||
17. | Mahisamardini | J&K | Germany | 2015 | Voluntarily returned | CAC, Purana Qila, N. Delhi | |||
18. | Uma Parameshwari | Tamil Nadu | Singapore | 2015 | Voluntarily returned | CAC, Purana Qila, New Delhi | |||
Presently there is no estimate available with the Archaeological Survey of India, for the number of the antiquities that are currently illegally being smuggled outside the country, however, Central Bureau of Investigation has registered one case in connection with Indian antiquities stolen and sold in foreign countries since 2000 to 2016.
Six numbers of antiquities have been recovered from abroad during the last three years. Details are given table-2:-
LIST OF RETRIEVAL OF ANTIQUITIES FROM FOREIGN COUNTRIES DURING LAST THREE YEARS 2013-2015 AND CURRENT YEAR UPTO 31st MARCH, 2016
Sl.No. | Description of object | Provenance | Country from which retrieved | Date/ year of Retrieval | Means of Retrieval | Present location |
1. | Yogini Vrishanana | —- | Paris | 2013 | Return on initiative of the then Minister of Culture | National Museum |
2. | Nataraja | Tamil Nadu | Australia | 2014 | Voluntarily returned | Under the custody of Idol Wing, Tamil Nadu |
3. | Ardhanariswara | Tamil Nadu | Australia | 2014 | Voluntarily returned | Under the custody of Idol Wing, Tamil Nadu |
4. | Parrot Lady | Madhya Pradesh | Canada | 2015 | Voluntarily returned | CAC, Purana Qila, N. Delhi
|
5. | Mahisamardini | J&K | Germany | 2015 | Voluntarily returned | CAC, Purana Qila, N. Delhi
|
6. | Uma Parameshwari | Tamil Nadu | Singapore | 2015 | Voluntarily returned | CAC, Purana Qila, N. Delhi |
Presently there is no estimate available with the Archaeological Survey of India, for the number of the antiquities that are currently illegally being smuggled outside the country, however, Central Bureau of Investigation has registered one case in connection with Indian antiquities stolen and sold in foreign countries since 2000 to 2016.
This information was given by Dr. Mahesh Sharma, Minister of State for Culture and Tourism (Independent Charge) and Minister of State for Civil Aviation in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.
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