It has been a homecoming for Shiva Bhairava, a 9th-10th century CE (common era) sandstone sculpture from Rajasthan; the child-saint Sambandar, a 12th century CE bronze statue from Tamil Nadu; a painting of Shiva and Parvati, Lord Vishnu and his forms; Jain tradition; and portraits and decorative objects besides a few other antiquities.
Overall, 29 stolen antiquities have been recently brought back to India from Australia.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday after inspecting these stolen antiquities dating as far back as the 9th Century thanked his Australian counterpart Scott Morrison for the return of the precious items, while speaking at the second India-Australia virtual summit on Monday.
He said the antiquities had been illegally taken from Rajasthan, West Bengal, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh and other States. Some of these artefacts went missing over 53 years ago.
According to Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) officials, the antiquities would be sent back to the States where they were stolen from, in case FIRs were filed. In a tweet, the Culture Ministry said the “antiquities were divided into six broad categories: Shiva and his disciples; worshipping Shakti; Lord Vishnu and his forms; Jain tradition; and portraits and decorative objects.”
The official said with these antiquities from Australia, the number of retrieved antiquities since 2014 had reached 228. Three more — one each from Italy, the United Kingdom and Australia — would soon be brought back as they had been handed over to Indian high commissions in those countries
Modi and Morrison at the virtual summit reviewed the progress on various initiatives under the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between India and Australia. The retrieval of artefacts came as part of India’s ongoing effort to get back stolen heritage sculptures and paintings from other nations, officials said.
“The process kicked into motion the moment the authorities were made aware that the artefacts were purchased by Australia. It took almost a year to repatriate these stolen artefacts,” an official familiar with the matter said. “These were received by the ASI last week.”
Three more have been retrieved by Indian authorities in Italy, UK and Australia and will be received by the country in the coming week, the official mentioned above added.
These include a 500-year-old statue of Hanuman from Australia, the sculpture of Avalokiteshwara Padamapani from Italy and Yogini idol from the UK. “Avalokiteshwara Padamapani idol went missing from the country’s most important Buddhist pilgrimage sites, the Devisthan Kundalpur Temple in Bihar more than two decades ago. The statue depicts Buddha holding the stem of a blossoming lotus in his left hand, with two female attendants below his feet. It was sculpted for the temple sometime between the eighth and 12th centuries,” the official said.
With the Antiquity and Art Treasures Act of 1972, the ASI has been tasked with preventing theft and illegal export and regulating the domestic trade of antiquities. They also retrieve artefacts listed as stolen and known to reside in other nations.
“Many of the artefacts repatriated today were stolen by the infamous art dealer Subhash Kapoor,” the official said. Kapoor, an Indian American art dealer, was convicted in 2019 for running an international art smuggling racket. ASI is also working on a plan to put the artefacts on display. Many of the retrieved treasures are now housed in the Gallery of Retrieved and Confiscated Antiquities at the Purana Qila in the national capital.